Anfernee Simons and DeAndre Ayton tallied a combined 69 points to propel the Portland Trail Blazers (19-46) to a thrilling 106-102 victory over the Atlanta Hawks (29-36) on Wednesday night.
Simons led the charge with a 36-point performance, while Ayton dominated the boards with a season-high 33 points and 19 rebounds.
Despite Dejounte Murray’s stellar 40-point effort for the Hawks, the Trail Blazers mounted a resilient comeback after trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half.
Portland’s tenacious defense and clutch scoring down the stretch proved decisive as they fended off Atlanta’s late rally to secure the hard-fought win.
The Hawks, plagued by injuries, were without key contributors, including Saddiq Bey and Jalen Johnson, further hampering their efforts on the road.
