Jrue Holiday has the Pelicans in position to knock off the Trail Blazers

Jrue Holiday is putting the clamps on the Portland Trail Blazers backcourt, and is a big reason why the New Orleans Pelicans have a 2-0 lead in the series.

Through two games between the Pelicans and Trail Blazers, the highest scoring guard hasn’t been Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum. It’s been Jrue Holiday. And as impressive as Holiday scoring a combined 54 points is, it takes a backseat to what he’s done on the other end of the floor.

Holiday was the blog boy’s choice for first team All-NBA defense, and he’s showing national audiences why as he tormented the Trail Blazers offense to help New Orleans take a 2-0 lead in the series.

The Trail Blazers were one of the NBA’s hottest teams in the second half of the season because Lillard was one of the league’s hottest players. Lillard averaged 28.6 points per game after the All-Star break, the third-best mark in the league during that time. Opponents knew that to beat the Trail Blazers, they had to stop Lillard. Only, that’s much easier said than done.

Thanks to Holiday, the Pelicans are doing it.

Lillard made just one of his 11 shot attempts in Game 1 when defended by Holiday, and didn’t fare much better in Game 2. Holiday has shared the Lillard assignment with Rondo. When he’s not corralling Portland’s best player, Holiday is wreaking havoc elsewhere.

Holiday has always been a good defender, but he’s emerged as one of the NBA’s best this season. Between him on the frontline and Anthony Davis at the rim, New Orleans has stymied the Trail Blazers offense. Holiday is the perfect antidote to Dame Time. Lillard is shooting just 33 percent in the fourth quarter through the first two games, compared to 44.9 percent during the regular season.

Portland got to where they are because Lillard has a superhuman way of taking over games, but he just can’t do it with Holiday draped all over him. Of all the possible first-round opponents for the third-seeded Trail Blazers, Holiday and the Pelicans may have been the worst-possible matchup.

And then there is his offense.

After quietly averaging nearly 20 points per game since the All-Star break, Holiday kicked it up another notch in the first two games of the playoffs. Holiday put 21 points up in Game 1 and a game-high 33 points to go with nine assists in Game 2.

Next: How the Pacers contained LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Game 1

He’s playing with intensity while at the same time controlling the game. He’s like Chris Paul with his hair on fire.

He’s also playing with the kind of swagger we’re accustomed to seeing from Lillard, like when he stepped into a 3-pointer to give the Pelicans a five-point lead with a minute-and-a-half to go.

Everyone knew Davis was going to get his in this series. New Orleans always has a chance when The Brow is the best player on the court, but Holiday locking down Portland’s potent backcourt and outscoring them on offense is a big reason why the Pelicans are up 2-0. With the series headed back to New Orleans, Holiday has helped position his team for a first round upset.