Jrue Holiday, whose arrival in 2023 helped push the Celtics over the championship hump, returned to TD Garden on Monday for the first time since his offseason trade to Portland.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla raved about the unselfish mindset Holiday brought to Boston’s locker room during his two seasons with the franchise.

“The biggest thing that stands out is who he is as a person,” Mazzulla said pregame. “You take a look at a guy who was a champion and an All-Star, and he comes in and accepts a completely different role and does it with a smile on his face, and does it with a level of respect and professionalism and is willing to do what it takes to win every night. … It was great having him for the time that we did.”

Holiday, who was traded to Portland in exchange for Anfernee Simons, missed nearly two months with a calf injury, but he’s been productive for the Trail Blazers when active. The 35-year-old guard has a much larger offensive role than he did with the Celtics — with whom he was a defense-first player — averaging 15.4 points and 7.1 assists over 18 games (16 starts) this season.

“He’s huge for us,” Blazers interim head coach Thiago Splitter said. “What he brings to the locker room, to the court, his experience. He’s taken care of end-of-the-game situations, life situations, locker room situations — all of the things that we preach about as a staff, as an organization, he’s on point with the players. It’s a pleasure to have him in our locker room.”

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Holiday said he fully expected to be traded given the precarious luxury-tax situation Boston faced last offseason — and that he’s “not that surprised” his old team is succeeding without him, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Luke Kornet and the injured Jayson Tatum. Led by Jaylen Brown, an All-Star starter for the first time this season, the Celtics entered Monday with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and the third-best net rating in the NBA.

“I knew that they’d be well, they’d do well, knowing the type of determination that this coaching staff and organization has,” Holiday said. “Being with this team for a couple of years now and knowing the type of players that they are and how to prepare, I figured that they would be good. And then obviously, knowing Jaylen, feel like he takes a lot of things personally. He doesn’t accept a lot, especially when it comes to being bad.”

What does Brown take personally?

“Just losing,” Holiday said. “I think people counted them out as a team. Not just Jaylen. I know Payton (Pritchard), Sam (Hauser), Neemi (Queta), Joe, the whole coaching staff — I feel like when people say that they can’t do something, they prove them wrong.”

Time Lord returns

Holiday wasn’t the only ex-Celtic facing his former team for the first time Monday night.

It also was Robert Williams III’s first game against Boston since the Celtics traded him to Portland 2 1/2 years ago to acquire Holiday. The teams had played five times since then, but the oft-injured Williams did not dress for any of those games.

Williams is averaging 6.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game this season as former UConn center Donovan Clingan’s backup.

“He’s been huge this year, of course playing more than previous seasons,” Splitter said. “He’s not playing back-to-backs, so we’ve got to be a little careful with him. It’s working so far for us and for him. But he’s big part of our team, just helping our second unit defensively, rebounding, running, setting guys open. He’s very important player for us.”

Minott healthy, two bigs sit

An illness hit the Celtics’ locker room during the lead-up to Monday’s game. Big men Luka Garza and Chris Boucher both were ruled out before tipoff, and starting center Neemias Queta was listed as questionable before being upgraded to available.

Queta, whose illness first appeared on Boston’s injury report late last week, came off the bench in Saturday’s loss to Chicago, with Mazzulla opting to start rookie two-way player Amari Williams in his place.

One Celtics reserve made his return to the lineup against Portland: fourth-year wing Josh Minott, who was cleared to play after sitting out 10 straight games with an ankle sprain. Minott has been used as a small-ball center at times this season, but he fell out of Mazzulla’s rotation before his injury. He’s played just three total minutes since Thanksgiving.

The Trail Blazers were missing a key piece Monday in potential All-Star Deni Advija, who was ruled out with a back injury.

Porzingis won’t play

The Atlanta Hawks announced Porzingis, who has sat out nine straight games with Achilles tendonitis, will miss at least another week, meaning he’ll be unavailable for what would have been his first game back at TD Garden on Wednesday night.

As it was during his two seasons in Boston, availability has been an issue for the former Celtics big man since his offseason trade to Atlanta. Porzingis has suited up for just 17 of the Hawks’ 48 games. Before his current Achilles issue, he also dealt with a knee injury and missed 10 consecutive games in December due to symptoms from the viral illness he contracted late last season. He watched last Saturday’s C’s-Hawks game — a 132-106 Boston rout — from the bench in street clothes.

Porzingis, Holiday and Horford — vital players on Boston’s 2024 championship squad — all have played in less than 60% of their new teams’ games this season.

Off the rim

Mazzulla, who visited Patriots training camp last summer and hosted Mike Vrabel at the Celtics’ practice facility, was asked for his thoughts on the Super Bowl-bound Pats. “I think when you just take a look at it, they’re a team that’s developed an identity over the course of the season,” he said. “And every coach, regardless of the sport, is looking for that — creating that type of identity and consistency, and playing to that throughout an entire season, I think they’re a great example of that this year.” … Standout rookie Hugo Gonzalez was not selected to participate in the 2026 Rising Stars game, which will be held during All-Star weekend. Boston’s lone representative in the young player showcase will be two-way wing Ron Harper Jr., who was one of seven designated  G League players chosen.