Portland Trail Blazers sophomore guard Anfernee Simons was lighting up the Utah Jazz in the Las Vegas Summer League before his night took a turn for the worse just moments before the final buzzer sounded.
Simons had already scored a league-high 35 points before he turned his ankle late in the fourth quarter. Peter Socotch of NBC Sports Northwest reports that the 6-foot-4 guard was diagnosed with a grade 1 right ankle sprain. Fortunately, X-rays returned negative.
#Blazers announce Anfernee Simons sustained a grade 1 right ankle sprain late in the 4th quarter of today’s NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas. X-rays were negative #ripcity
— Peter Socotch (@PeterSocotch) July 10, 2019
Simons shot an efficient 13-of-18 from the field and knocked down six of his seven triples in the 97-93 loss against the Jazz. He also added six rebounds, two assists, and two steals to go along with his 35 markers.
Simons was playing with hot grease early on, knocking down five three-pointers en route to 15 points in the first quarter. He also led the charge for the Blazers in the fourth, scoring 12 points in the period. Unfortunately, Simons injured his ankle after game-tying attempt was blocked late down the stretch.
It's unclear whether Simons will still suit up for the rest of summer league. With the way he dominated last night, the Blazers should just err on the side of caution by holding him out for the rest of the tournament to prevent any further damage on his ankle.
Simons will look to have a more prominent role with the Blazers this 2019-20 season. They lost a number of key rotation players to free agency this summer, including reserve guard Seth Curry. The 20-year old stand out from IMG Academy should slot into that role next season.
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