“I dedicate this whole game to my grandpa, who died last night from cancer”: Anfernee Simons gets emotional post scoring a career-high 43-points in a win against Trae Young and co

Blazers guard Anfernee Simons dedicates his career-high 43-points performance to his late grandfather, who died a night before the game against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Blazers vs. Hawks game went down to the wire, with the former emerging victorious despite superstar Trae Young putting up a mammoth 56-points. The Blazers snapped their four-game losing streak with a spectacular performance from Anfernee Simons, who had a career-high 43-points.

The Blazers had their backcourt in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum missing. Lillard was out due to abdominal tendinopathy. On the other hand, McCollum is recouping from a collapsed lung. However, Simons and a returning Joseph Nurkic would help the Blazers prevail over Young and co.

Simons coasted the Blazers to victory, scoring 43-points and 7-assists. The 22-year old was 9-of-16 from the 3-point line and a perfect 100% from the free-throw line. Crucial contributions from Nurkic and Norman Powell in the fourth quarter helped the Blazers emerge winners in this highly contested game.

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During the post-game interview, Simons would dedicate his performance to his late grandfather, who had passed away a night before due to cancer.

Anfernee Simons believes his grandfather would have been proud of his historic performance against the Hawks.

Simons is one of the upcoming talents in the league. The Florida native is remembered best for winning last year’s slam dunk contest. Though Simons failed his attempt of kissing the rim, he was recognized for his creativity.

His recent performance against the Hawks had him emotional at the end of the game. The 22-year old dedicated the win to his grandfather, who passed away due to cancer.

“I really can’t take credit for how I played tonight. Sadly my grandpa died last night from cancer. This is all him, honestly. I give credit to him, dedicated this whole game to him.” said the Blazers guard.

Simons replied the following when asked about what would his grandpa say to him after his career-high performance.

“He would have just told me, ‘great job.’ He would call me, yelling on the phone great job, and would be proud of me.”

“I really can’t take credit for how I played tonight… Sadly my grandpa died last night from cancer. This is all him, honestly. I give credit to him, dedicated this whole game to him.”

Sending so much love to @anferneesimons & his family ❤️ ❤️ pic.twitter.com/pVdKHAFB57

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 4, 2022

Also read: “Trae Young dropped a 55-point double-double, a feat done by no other player ever”: Hawks MVP shatters numerous records with his unbelievable 56/14 performance against the Blazers

With rumors of a potential Lillard trade, the Blazers fans can look forward to Simons having a greater role on the team.