The 2021 Slam Dunk Champion is a Better Shooter Than Dunker

Anfernee Simons made a name for himself during this year’s All-Star break, where he showed off his 40+ inch vertical leap and was crowned the dunk contest champion. In Portland’s matchup with Indiana on Tuesday night, he made it very clear that he is more than just a dunker, as he can also be a knockdown shooter as well.

INTERESTING FACTS

Tied the all-time NBA record for most consecutive 3PM (13) without a single miss
2nd most 3PM (9) during 1 GP in Blazers franchise history behind only Damian Lillard (10)

Odds vs. IND: POR -230 (Spread -5.5)

MAIN TAKEAWAY

ANFERNEE SIMONS CAN SHOOT AS WELL AS HE CAN DUNK

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Simons had a season-high 27 points to lead Portland in scoring. He scored every single one of his points from deep. Heading into the half, Simons was 4-4 from three, and made his next five, finishing 9-10 from beyond the arc on the night. Those nine trey balls are only one shy of Damian Lillard’s franchise record (10) during one game and tied the all-time NBA record for the most consecutive 3PM (13) without a miss, as he entered the game making all four of his most recent 3PA.

The 21-year-old Simons is in his third full season after being drafted in the first round by the Blazers in 2018. He’s only been getting 16.3 minutes per game this season but was left in for 24 on Tuesday night thanks to his hot hand. Simons has now made it known that he can light it up from deep, and could use his performance versus Indy to start seeing more minutes. The high-hopper has shown there’s more to his game than just kissing the rim.