ANFERNEE SIMONS

The NBA generated more basketball related income than ever this past season, the total number coming up just short of $9 billion.

Cole Anthony had 23 points and the Orlando Magic downed the Trail Blazers 113-95, hours after a trade ended ended guard CJ McCollum’s nearly nine-year tenure in Portland.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard said fellow Olympic teammate Jrue Holiday helped convince him to have surgery on his abdomen.

CJ McCollum scored 16 points in his first game back from a collapsed lung, Jusuf Nurkic added 21 points and a season-best 22 rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Orlando Magic 98-88.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has had surgery to repair a core injury that has been causing him abdominal pain.

Hawks Trail Blazers Basketball Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, left, shoots over Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer) (Craig Mitchelldyer)PORTLAND, Ore. — (AP) — Anfernee Simons had a career-high 43 points and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame an NBA season-best 56 points by Atlanta's Trae Young, snapping a four-game losing streak in a 136-131 win over the Hawks on Monday night. After missing Portland's last game, Simons started in place of All-Star Damian Lillard, who was out because of injury management. ... Young's streak of games with 25 or more points is the longest in the NBA this season. ... Young is the first NBA player to reach 29 points and nine assists in the first half of a game this season.

Anfernee Simons had a career-high 43 points and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame an NBA season-best 56 points by Atlanta’s Trae Young, snapping a four-game losing streak in a 136-131 win over the Hawks.

The Portland Trail Blazers are having a stormy season with a string of losses, a front office shakeup and trade rumors that continue to swirl.

Stephen Curry scored 22 points and moved within nine 3-pointers of tying Ray Allen’s career record, and the Golden State Warriors held off the injury-depleted Portland Trail Blazers 104-94.

Nikola Jokic scored 38 points to overcome a 3-point shooting barrage from Damian Lillard and the Denver Nuggets evened the first-round series by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 128-109 in a chippy Game 2.

Damian Lillard scored 34 points and led Portland’s 3-point barrage that sparked the Trail Blazers’ 123-109 win over the Denver Nuggets in the opener of their first-round playoff series Saturday night.

Anfernee Simons of the Portland Trail Blazers celebrates after winning the 2021 NBA All-Star - AT&T Slam Dunk Contest. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox)Anfernee Simons, a guard for the Portland Trailblazers who grew up in Altamonte Springs and attended Edgewater High School, won the slam dunk contest at the NBA’s annual All-Star game on Sunday. In an abbreviated contest held at halftime of the game, the 21-year-old Simons was chosen the winner by three of the five judges who presided over the contest. On his final dunk, Simons pretended the kiss the rim as he threw down a one-handed dunk. Anfernee Simons almost kissed the rim on his final dunk on his way to winning the slam dunk contest 😯🎥: @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/lp6jzC9yJ8 — USA TODAY NBA (@usatodaynba) March 8, 2021In September, Simons and his foundation helped provide laptops to area students.

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)ATLANTA – Stephen Curry shot his way to another 3-point title and Domantas Sabonis made sure the Skills Challenge still belongs to the bigs. Conley had the lead with 27 points before Curry was the final shooter of the contest. Curry had 26 points before sinking his final shot from the corner for 28 points and the win. Tatum led off the final round with 17 points while making only one shot from the “money ball” rack. In the final, Toppin took off from near the free-throw line, inspiring comparisons to Wilkins' winning form while with the Atlanta Hawks.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, shoots as Phoenix Suns forward Dario Saric defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 2, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)ATLANTA – It's the NBA All-Star Game almost no one seemed to want. "It’s the All-Star Game, so there’s going to be some shenanigans out there. Team LeBron will play on behalf of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, while Team Durant represents the United Negro College Fund. Trae Young, a starter in 2020, was snubbed this season despite averaging 26.4 points — the most of any player not selected for the All-Star Game.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard shoots a 3-point basket over Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, March 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)PORTLAND, Ore. – Played tough by the Warriors all game, Damian Lillard needed to make something happen. Lillard hit a deep 3-pointer with 13.7 seconds left to give the Portland Trail Blazers a hard-fought 108-106 victory over Golden State on Wednesday night. His 3-pointer gave Golden State a 101-96 lead with 3:57 remaining. He took a charge from Green, which prompted an unsuccessful challenge by Golden State, and Portland won its second straight after a four-game losing streak.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Phoenix’s Devin Booker have been 3-point champions at All-Star weekend before, and they’ll try to win that trophy again Sunday. The NBA revealed the 15 players Tuesday who will be taking part in the other on-court events besides the All-Star Game in Atlanta, with the overwhelming majority of them pulling double-duty between those competitions and the game itself. They’ll be joined by Portland’s Robert Covington, the only current NBA player who is a graduate of a historically Black college and university. It will be held at halftime of the All-Star Game, while the skills competition and 3-point contest will occur pregame. Atlanta, Charlotte, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Memphis, Miami, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, San Antonio and Toronto have no one participating in All-Star night events.

Anthony scored a season-high 24 points off the bench, including 16 in the fourth quarter, and the Trail Blazers beat the Sixers 118-114 on Thursday night. Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 35 points and nine rebounds, and Ben Simmons added 23 points and 11 boards. “I thought tonight was just one of those games where we felt like we had to win the game,” Anthony said. Trail Blazers: It was the first of a back-to-back for Portland. The Trail Blazers host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Portland Trailblazer’s Guard Anfernee Simons recently ended his NBA season in the bubble. The Altamonte Springs native teamed up with non-profit One Heart for Women & Children today to gift 20 laptops to students in Orlando. The Trail Blazer’s guard attended Edgewater High School in Orlando so Central Florida holds a special place in his heart. “Anfernee went to Edgewater High School a few years ago,” said Stephanie Bowman, Founder of One Heart for Women and Children. You can donate to One Heart for Women & Children by clicking or tapping here.