NBA: Anfernee Simons making case for Boston as Celtics prep for Blazers

Guard Anfernee Simons is often at the center of trade speculation, but he is making it difficult for the Boston Celtics to consider moving him. Simons and the Celtics will face the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, just two days after he came off the bench to score 21 points in 28 minutes during a 114-111 loss to the Chicago Bulls.

Boston acquired Simons from Portland in a trade last July that sent Jrue Holiday to the Trail Blazers. Simons is currently in the final year of the four-year, $100 million contract extension he signed with Portland in 2022.

This season, Simons is averaging 13.9 points per game. His 21-point performance against Chicago followed Boston’s double-overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.

“Obviously those things (playing on back-to-back nights) can play a factor, but we’re not going to give ourselves those types of excuses,” Simons said. “We knew we came here to win a game and we fully expected to win the game, no matter the cost, no matter what obstacles we had to go through before the game. The night before doesn’t even matter. We’ve got to come together and win a ballgame, and that’s the attitude we have.”

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 33 points against Chicago despite dealing with hamstring tightness that placed him on the injury report before Saturday’s game. Brown played 46 minutes in the double-overtime win against Brooklyn.

Monday’s game will start a four-game homestand for the Celtics, who had won four of their last five before losing to the Bulls.

Meanwhile, Jrue Holiday will be on a minutes restriction in his return to Boston. Winter weather could affect travel logistics, but Holiday said the team will stay focused.

“No matter the weather that’s supposed to be coming, we’ve got a job to do,” Holiday said. “We’d like to win.”

Holiday scored 21 points and had seven assists during Friday’s 110-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors. Portland struggled early, scoring only 12 points in the first quarter and shooting 4 of 26 from the field, including 1 of 11 from beyond the arc.

“If you go 13-for-45 (on 3-point attempts), it’s not a great shooting night and it’s hard to win,” Portland coach Tiago Splitter said. “There are nights we’re a little bit off like that. You just have to keep pounding and trust. There were nights that we started like that and we changed it around. It was not the case against Toronto, but we have to flush that one, get together, watch film. What can we do better? Maybe the shot selection. We’ll see.”

Portland played without leading scorer Deni Avdija (26.0 ppg) on Friday due to a lower back strain. Splitter said he expects Avdija to play on Monday.

This will be the second meeting between Portland and Boston this season. Shaedon Sharpe made five 3-pointers and scored 26 points to help the Trail Blazers beat the Celtics 114-108 in Portland on Dec. 28. Avdija recorded 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in that win.

Portland is 9-3 in the 2026 calendar year.

— Field Level Media/Reuters