Simons Focused on Court as Celtics Host Blazers
Despite persistent trade speculation surrounding Anfernee Simons, the guard continues to make his presence felt on the floor for the Boston Celtics.
Simons and Boston are set to host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, two days after he scored 21 points in 28 minutes off the bench during a 114-111 loss to Chicago. The performance came at the end of a demanding stretch that included a double-overtime win over Brooklyn on Friday night.
Boston acquired Simons from Portland last July in a deal that sent Jrue Holiday to the Trail Blazers. Simons is playing the final season of the four-year, $100 million contract extension he signed with the Trail Blazers in 2022.
Through the season, Simons is averaging 13.9 points per game. His effort against Chicago followed a grueling schedule, but the guard was clear that fatigue would not serve as an explanation.
“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, it doesn’t even matter. We got to come together and win a ballgame, and that’s the attitude we have.”
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 33 points against the Bulls, despite dealing with hamstring tightness that placed him on the injury report ahead of Saturday’s game. Brown logged 46 minutes in Friday’s double-overtime victory over Brooklyn.
Monday’s contest opens a four-game homestand for the Celtics, who had won four of their previous five games before falling to Chicago.
Holiday is expected to play on a minutes restriction in his return to Boston. Winter weather could complicate travel logistics, and the veteran guard is still working his way back after missing nearly two months earlier this season due to a calf strain.
“No matter the weather that’s supposed to be coming, we got a job to do,” Holiday said. “We’d like to win.”
Holiday scored 21 points and dished out seven assists in Portland’s 110-98 loss to Toronto on Friday. The Trail Blazers struggled early, scoring just 12 points in the first quarter while shooting 4 of 26 from the field and 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 (other) nights that we started like that, and we changed it around. It was not the case (against Toronto), but as I said, we have to flush that one, get together, and watch film. What can we do better? Maybe the shot selection? We’ll see.”
Portland played without leading scorer Deni Avdija, who averages 26.0 points per game, due to a lower back strain. Splitter said he expects Avdija to return Monday.
The matchup marks the second meeting between the teams this season. Portland won the first encounter 114-108 on Dec. 28, with Shaedon Sharpe hitting five three-pointers and scoring 26 points. Avdija added 24 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds in that win.
The Trail Blazers enter Monday’s game riding momentum, posting a 9-3 record since the start of the 2026 calendar year.
