Hoosiers in the NBA: Romeo Langford Scores Career High For San Antonio Spurs

Former Indiana basketball guard Romeo Langford scored a career-high 23 points on Thursday night as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the New York Knicks 122-115.

With starting shooting guard Devin Vassell out with a knee injury, San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich turned to fourth-year guard Romeo Langford.

"Let's go," Langford said of his reaction to starting Thursday's game in a postgame interview on Bally Sports. "I'm kind of used to it, used to be thrown in the fire. That's why you always just stay ready so you don't got to get ready."

Thursday's game against the New York Knicks marked Langford's eighth start in 20 games for the Spurs during the 2022-23 season, and he made the most of his opportunity. Constantly attacking the basket, Langford scored a career-high 23 points in the Spurs' 122-115 win over the Knicks at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Tex. It was an efficient effort from Langford, shooting 11-for-16 overall, 1-for-1 from 3 to go with three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

"[Langford's] done everything from start to not play a minute in other games," Popovich said. "He just always seems ready no matter what we need, so with Devin out, he did a hell of a job."

"That's our whole main focus every game. Playing a full 48 minutes."

Spurs guard Romeo Langford shines in a starting role against the Knicks, and talks about the team win.@spurs | #PorVida | @yeahyeah22 pic.twitter.com/xl4VxGPfg8

— Bally Sports San Antonio (@BallySportsSA) December 30, 2022

After the game, Langford made his first appearance on the Bally Sports Spurs Live postgame show, where he appeared confident that more performances like this are in store moving forward.

"I was just playing basketball," Langford said. "I was just out there playing basketball, I don't know. I guess you could say I was in the zone. If I was in the zone I probably would have had 50, something like that."

Since being drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 14th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Langford has dealt with injuries that limited his role, but he's starting to catch on with the Spurs this season. He played the first two and a half seasons with the Celtics, but was traded to the Spurs midway through the 2021-22 season. 

Along with his career high on Thursday, Langford has scored double-digit points in five of his last 10 appearances since Nov. 30. He set a previous career high with 19 points on Dec. 10 against the Miami Heat when he shot 7-for-10 overall, 1-for-2 from three while grabbing six rebounds. 

Through 20 games this season, Langford is averaging career highs in nearly every category at 6.8 points per game, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.7 steals. His 3-point shooting is down to 25.0 percent after 34.1 percent last season, but Langford's overall field-goal percentage has jumped to 51.4 percent after shooting 43.5 percent in 2021-22 and 35.6 in 2020-21. He's also playing more than ever, averaging 19.5 minutes per game.

For Langford, this recent success, as well as what it takes to sustain this level of play, stems simply from being healthy and consistent.

"I feel like when I'm out there and I'm healthy and I get to play a consistent role, I'm productive out there," Langford said. "And that's just the main thing, being on the court because if you're not on the court you can't show what you can do."

Before the NBA, Langford was ESPN's No. 5 recruit in the class of 2018, behind R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish and Bol Bol. He was named 2018 Indiana Mr. Basketball, averaging 35.5 points as a senior at New Albany High School, where he scored 3,002 career points.

Langford chose to stay home and play for the Indiana Hoosiers under coach Archie Miller. In one collegiate season, Langford averaged 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and shot 44.8 percent overall. 

As a young player, Langford was known for his offensive prowess, but he's taken significant steps to improve as a defender since reaching the NBA.

"When I first got drafted to Boston, [defense] was the main thing, really all I worked on," Langford said. "I've got to give credit to my coach back there, Joe Mazulla. Me and him worked consistently on defense, really. Sometimes we barely shot any jump shots. We just worked on defense and executing the game plan, even if I wasn't playing, that Brad Stevens drew up for us."

This defensive effort will help Langford continue to carve out a role on the Spurs, but Popovich believes more offensive performances like Thursday's are coming from Langford, who is still just 23 years old. 

"I think [Langford's] got that kind of ability," Popovich said. "He's just, as you know, been injured since he came into the league, off and on, that kind of thing. So he's been pretty healthy for us."

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