Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Leads all scorers with 27 points

Simons (back) finished Friday's 102-97 win over the Hornets with a game-high 27 points (8-16 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 7-9 FT), five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 37 minutes.

Simons was able to battle through lower-back soreness and suit up for the Trail Blazers on Friday, capitalizing on a favorable matchup with a severely undermanned Hornets team. The star guard has averaged 19.9 points, 4.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 4.0 threes while shooting 45.5 percent from long range over his last 10 games. Even though his defensive contributions are limited overall, Simons remains Portland's clear-cut top scoring option going forward.