It took a while, but no longer than it should have for a guy who had only played eight minutes over the nine games since Dec. 22. Surely 28 minutes on the court isn't an unreasonable amount of time to sand off that much rust.
Malcolm Brogdon, finally healthy again after dealing with a dislocated pinkie finger, pulled hamstring, sore lower back, and strep throat, returned to his rightful place in the Pacers' lineup Monday and did what he was hired to do: close out a close game with clutch plays.
An important game, too. The Pacers' 101-95 victory over Philadelphia improved their record to 25-15 and vaulted them over the Sixers into fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings, just a half-game back of Toronto in fourth.