Anfernee Simons erupts for 43 as Blazers overcome Trae Young, Hawks in shootout
Photo from the Portland Trail Blazers’ Twitter
Anfernee Simons scored a career-high 43 points and matched his career-best of nine 3-pointers to help the Portland Trail Blazers post a 136-131 shootout win over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.
Atlanta star Trae Young scored a career-best 56 points and also had 14 assists but couldn’t prevent the Hawks from losing for the 10th time in 14 games.
🔥 @AnferneeSimons comes up HUGE in the @trailblazers win! 🔥
Career-high 43 points
9 threes (tying career high) pic.twitter.com/zpZew6kVol— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2022
"I dedicate this whole game to him."
Anfernee Simons' heartfelt words on his career-best 43-point game after his grandfather passed away yesterday. pic.twitter.com/WxONxCAUqn
— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2022
Norman Powell scored 26 points and Nassir Little added 22 as Portland snapped a four-game slide and won for just the fourth time in the past 18 games. Jusuf Nurkic had 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Trail Blazers after missing three games due to being in the COVID-19 protocol.
Clint Capela scored 22 points on 10-of-10 shooting and added 11 rebounds for the Hawks. Kevin Huerter scored 18 points and played 37 minutes in his return after missing six games due to COVID-19 protocol.
Young was 17 of 26 from the field, knocked down 7 of 12 from 3-point range and hit all 15 of his free-throw attempts.
🤯 @TheTraeYoung becomes the first player in @NBAHistory with 56 points and 14 assists in a game. pic.twitter.com/Sy4sbWeFJg
— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2022
Simons was 13-of-21 shooting, made 9 of 16 from behind the arc and was 8 of 8 from the line.
Portland played without Damian Lillard (abdomen), CJ McCollum (lung) and Cody Zeller (COVID-19). Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was back on the bench after a three-game COVID-19 absence.
A night to remember ❤️ pic.twitter.com/OIu6EUerdT
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 4, 2022
The Hawks were without John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic due to the COVID-19 protocol. Atlanta coach Nate McMillian missed his first game since going into the protocol and assistant Joe Prunty ran the club.
Ben McLemore added 10 points for Portland, which shot 52.8 percent from the field, including 18 of 41 from 3-point range.
The Hawks connected on 54.5 percent of their shots and were 14 of 41 from behind the arc.
The Trail Blazers opened the final quarter with a 14-4 run to take a 114-109 on Powell’s basket with 6:41 left.
A three-point play by Powell made it 123-115 with 3:09 remaining. Young answered with a 3-pointer but Nurkic followed with consecutive baskets to increase Portland’s lead to nine points with 1:55 to play.
Delon Wright drained a corner 3-pointer seven seconds later and Young hit four free throws as the Hawks moved within 127-125 with 55.1 seconds left.
But Nurkic converted a three-point play with 42.6 seconds remaining and Simons added two free throws with 15.2 ticks left as Portland held on.
Young scored 29 points in the first half but the Hawks trailed 70-65 at the break. Simons scored 26 points in the second half.
