Reserve Boston Celtics point guard Malcolm Brogdon has been struggling with his new team of late until the Celtics blew out the Dallas Mavericks on the road this past Thursday, and had an interesting perspective on why things changed in that contest postgame. “I think we needed to really step up,” he explained via CLNS Media, a nod to Boston’s flat levels of effort in a few recent tilts.

“I think that’s (in) every facet of the game, whether it’s making shots, defending better, coming in and filling the gaps,” he added. “I thought we answered the call (against the Mavs) tonight.”

“A lot of the time we feed off of the energy of the first group, and when they come out flat or (are) not making shots, it’s our job to come in and pick them up,” explained Brogdon.

“I think when we don’t, we’re not doing our job. So we’ve just got to be more consistent with that regardless of how the first group comes out,” suggested the Virginia alumnus.

“Because we’re used to them coming out so strong, when they don’t, we’ve got to be able to come in and pick them up.”

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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire