Is Jrue Holiday playing today against Brazil? Latest on Team USA star's status | 2024 Paris Olympics (August 5)

Team USA takes on Brazil, who in years gone by would have likely posed little threat, in the 2024 Paris Olympics men's basketball quarterfinal on Tuesday. One of the key points leading up to the clash is whether Jrue Holiday will be available.

After missing Team USA’s final group game against Puerto Rico, the NBA champion is back as coach Steve Kerr has said that he's in contention to play against Brazil.

Holiday missed the last game with a minor ankle injury, but Kerr confirmed that the injury is only slight and precautionary. The Celtics and Team USA star is expected to return to the squad for the quarterfinal.

Kerr offered a generally positive, though brief, update on Holiday’s availability on Tuesday night.

"He would've played had this been a medal-round game," Kerr declared. "But it made sense to give him the night, give him an extra couple of days to heal."

Holiday, who was a highly underrated cog in Kerr’s machine, suffered an ankle injury during USA's victory over South Sudan on Wednesday.

In his absence, LeBron James & Co. notched up their third most convincing win of the tournament as they punished Puerto Rico 104-83. Jayson Tatum and Anthony Edwards was a welcome different dimension as he played a combined 40 minutes, with the latter scoring a team-high 26 points.

Apart from Holiday, all the players selected to represent Team USA are deemed to be fit, so Kerr will likely stick to his strongest names to do the job from the tip-off.

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How has Jrue Holiday fared so far at the 2024 Paris Olympics?

Jrue Holiday’s excellent form with Boston Celtics saw him rightly rewarded with a spot in the Team USA national team for his second major tournament.

More than capable in physical battles, Holiday was one of the outstanding performers in their group opener against Serbia. The 34-year-old put in a stellar performance, playing 24 minutes and managing to score 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, also grabbing six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block – the third best ratio of the second side.

He produced an even neater show on the ball in the second game against South Sudan. In 15 minutes of play, he contributed five points, one assist, two rebounds and one block.

It isn't just the fact that he scores buckets but also the sheer quality of his awareness and defensive instincts that mark one of the best two-way players.

While the likes of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant will take headlines and rightfully so, the veteran’s impact on big games this summer is the key to Team USA’s success at the Olympics.