Celtics’ Malcolm Brogdon returns to form in win over Spurs

A jolt of energy was needed for the Boston Celtics Saturday evening against the San Antonio Spurs.

That arrived in the stylish, efficient performance by Malcolm Brogdon.

Brogdon was steady throughout the game, helping the Celtics overcome an uneven team performance. By time the final buzzer sounded, Brogdon and the Celtics skated by with a 121-116 victory.

Back-to-back wins are a nice way to cap a four-game road trip. And for Brogdon, it was good to see him get his scoring groove back.

Malcolm Brogdon provides the hot hand for Celtics in win over Spurs

Like many of Boston’s players in recent weeks, Brogdon found himself in a shooting funk. It’s a trend the Celtics are starting to emerge from, with Brogdon the most recent to get things back to good.

Boston has been better off for Brogdon again packing his scoring punch.

The victory over the Spurs was the third-straight game Brogdon found life on offense. Against San Antonio, Brogdon delivered 23 points on 8-12 shooting from the field. He missed only once from deep, going 5-6, as the Celtics were a solid 15-34 from three-point range.

Brogdon also dished out sevens assists and grabbed three rebounds

In the last three games, Brogdon is averaging 18.3 points. He’s 9-14 from beyond the arc and, over the last two games, is 12-20 from the field.

Most of December, Brogdon had his struggles in the scoring column. In the first game of January and the last three games of December, Brogdon scored a grand total of 25 points. He shot only 36 percent from the field in this stretch, including an ice-cold 1-10 from deep.

Brogdon, however, was finding other ways to contribute, including in a victory over the Houston Rockets, where he had six rebounds and eight assists.

The consistency of a third-scorer is sorely needed on this team. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are up to the task as a top duo (pouring in a combined 63 points Saturday) but a consistent third threat helps alleviate pressure on them.

Players like Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Robert Williams III, and Grant Williams are among those that can slide into that role on any given night. They bring so many other tangibles to the court, however, if there is a consistent third scoring option, these other players can naturally find their scoring rhythm

Brogdon can be that guy and has proven it much of the season.

Boston Celtics: Brogdon’s season stats

The 23-point effort from Brogdon against the Spurs was the first time he crossed the 20-point barrier since November 30. He capped off that months with back-to-back 21-point games, shooting a smooth 15-19 from the field and 8-10 on three-point attempts.

Now, those kind of numbers shouldn’t be expected every time out for Brogdon. Those are video game numbers and, while nice to have, aren’t doable every game.

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Still, if Brogdon can get back to scoring what he did in November with nearly 15 ppg, the Celtics will be in good shape. He was also over 50 percent in field goals and threes in that month, where the Celtics only lost twice.

Overall, Brogdon has played in 34 of Boston’s 40 games, averaging just over 13 points per game. If that number can remain at or above 15 from here on out, the Celtics will be in good shape going forward.

Brogdon, despite the shooting struggles, found ways to contribute. Whether it was ball distribution, keeping the offense flowing, or locking in on defense, he was able to stay involved. Brogdon has been a worthy addition to the Boston Celtics in 2022-23 and it appears his asset as a scorer has returned.

And it comes at a perfect time, with the race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference heating up, with contenders coming at the Celtics from all angles.

The next stop for Brogdon and the Boston Celtics will be a Monday (1/9) night game against the Chicago Bulls. The teams have split two games this season but Brogdon has been outstanding, scoring 48 points, connecting on 17-23 from the field.