Image credit: ClutchPoints

Blazers’ Anfernee Simons stuns Nikola Jokic, Nuggets with epic game-winner

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Jedd Pagaduan | Last updated Dec 20, 2024 12:39 AM ET

The Portland Trail Blazers were in cruise control against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, taking a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter. But the Nuggets have come from behind on multiple occasions this season, and it looked as though they seized momentum of the game for good after Russell Westbrook swallowed up an Anfernee Simons shot leading to a Michael Porter Jr. dunk that gave Denver a two-point lead. However, it was Simons who had the last laugh, as he drained a game-winning floater over Westbrook in isolation just as the time expired to give Portland a 122-120 win.

ANFERNEE SIMONS CALLED GAME ON RUSSELL WESTBROOK AND THE NUGGETS

(via @trailblazers)pic.twitter.com/Cea2J0q7BJ

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 20, 2024

Simons was on point all night long, and he was the no-brainer pick for the Blazers to give the ball to for the last shot of the game. His isolation on Westbrook was eerily reminiscent of Damian Lillard’s iso against Paul George back in the 2019 NBA playoffs, but this time, Simons drove to the lane and got the step on the Nuggets guard, and all Westbrook could do was flail at the ball to try and swipe it, failing to contest the shot at the apex. This resulted in a pretty easy bucket for Simons who gave the Blazers their ninth win of the season in 27 contests.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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