Celtics' Jrue Holiday Says His Jaylen Brown Comments Were Taken 'Out of Context'

After Jrue Holiday had comments saying that Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd wasn't "lying" by saying Jaylen Brown was the Boston Celtics' best player, the point guard clarified that statement following Boston's win in Game 2.

Holiday said that he wasn't trying to compare Brown to Celtics star Jayson Tatum, per Forbes' Shane Young.

"I feel like people took that out of context," Holiday said. "I keep hearing people say I prefer JB over JT, and that's not the case ... to compare them is something I will never do."

Holiday's previous comments sparked debates around whether Brown or Tatum was the better player, but now it's clear he was just complimenting Brown rather than slighting Tatum.

Kidd's original comments came ahead of Game 2 after Brown led the way for the Celtics in Game 1 with 22 points.

"Well, Jaylen's their best player, so just looking at what he does defensively," Kidd said. "He picked up Luka full-court. He got to the free-throw line. He did everything, and that's what your best player does. He plays both sides, defense and offense, at a high rate, and he's been doing that the whole playoffs."

Kidd had high praise for Brown, and Holiday responded with compliments for Brown's game as well.

"I don't think he's lying," Holiday said. "I think JB, he's been aggressive in every single way. He's been getting to the paint, getting to the free-throw line, also making plays for other people. And then, he's guarding Luka, he's guarding their best player."

"I've been on teams where, just any team, where does your best player have such a heavy load on the offensive load, and then just as equal a heavy load on the defensive end. That's hard to do, especially against somebody like Luka."

Now that Holiday has clarified those comments, the Celtics can shift their focus back to their quest for their 18th championship, and they got one step closer after taking a 2-0 lead over the Mavericks on Sunday.

While fans debated whether Brown or Tatum is the Celtics' best player, it was actually Holiday who appeared to be the best in Game 2 as he finished with a team-high 26 points and 11 rebounds.

As Boston travels to Dallas for Game 3, it will look to get another big performance out of the veteran point guard.