Pro Bruin Rundown: Jrue Holiday steals game for Bucks, Teagan Micah maintains shutout goalkeeping

This post was updated July 18 at 9:01 p.m.

UCLA Athletics may be taking a break for the summer, but professional sports are still in full swing. Each Sunday, Daily Bruin Sports will highlight a few standout performances of former UCLA greats from the past week as we count down the days until fall.

Men’s Basketball: Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks

After a game-saving block to even the NBA Finals in Game 4, the Milwaukee Bucks needed a win on the road.

And in the waning seconds of Game 5 on Saturday evening, it was Milwaukee’s point guard who stole the ball and helped steal the game for the Bucks in Phoenix.

Former UCLA men’s basketball guard Jrue Holiday secured the game-sealing steal and alley-oop dish to defeat the Phoenix Suns 123-119 and take a 3-2 series lead in the NBA Finals.

The 2021 NBA All-Defensive First Team member poured in 27 points, 13 assists and three steals to help Milwaukee overcome a 16-point first-quarter deficit on the road.

With the victory, Holiday and the Bucks will return to Milwaukee on Tuesday for Game 6, one win away from the franchise’s first NBA championship in 50 years.

Baseball: Michael Toglia, Spokane Indians

Michael Toglia wasted no time in front of a hometown crowd.

The Spokane Indians’ first baseman of the Colorado Rockies organization took the field for the National League in the MLB All-Star Futures Game in Denver on July 11.

In the bottom of the third inning against the American League, Toglia swung at the first pitch of his first at-bat to launch a two-run home run over the center field wall, much to the delight of the home crowd’s fans. The long ball by Toglia – who was drafted 23rd overall by the Rockies out of UCLA in the 2019 MLB Draft – traveled 444 feet and helped extend his team’s lead to three runs.

The former Bruin position player finished the game 1-for-3 at the plate, which culminated in an 8-3 victory for the National League.

Women’s Soccer: Teagan Micah, Team Australia

In the lead-up to the Olympic Games, one up-and-coming former Bruin kept it clean for their national team.

In just her second-ever cap for the Australian senior national soccer team – also known as the Matildas – goalkeeper Teagan Micah did not concede a goal to Team Japan in an international friendly Wednesday in Kyoto, Japan.

Micah – who played for UCLA women’s soccer from 2016-2019 – started the first half of the match en route to her second clean sheet for the Matildas after being subbed out for Lydia Williams at the 45-minute mark. On June 15, Micah made her first senior national team start versus Team Sweden and recorded a shutout after playing the entirety of that exhibition.

On both occasions, Australia was unable to capitalize on Micah’s performance, ending its games against Sweden and Japan in a draw and 1-0 loss, respectively. With the draw and defeat, the Matildas now enter the Tokyo Olympics having not won a match since 2020.

Men’s Tennis: Maxime Cressy

In a day of upsets, a former Bruin captured the final blood.

At the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island, Maxime Cressy upset No. 2 seed Sam Querrey 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in the Round of 16 on Wednesday. With the win, Cressy joined Jason Jung, Jack Sock and Peter Gojowczyk as one of the four players to defeat a top-five seed in that round.

But while the former UCLA men’s tennis athlete advanced to the next round, Cressy fell to No. 7 seed Jordan Thompson in straight sets Friday. With the loss, Cressy joined Jung, Sock and Gojowczyk as one of the four players to fall in the quarterfinals.