Trail Blazers Host Nuggets As Portland Looks To Make It Three In A Row

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (13-11) vs DENVER NUGGETS (14-10)
Dec. 8, 2022 — Moda Center — 7:00 pm PST
Regular Season Game #25 — Home Game #11
TV: NBA TV, Root Sports Plus
RADIO: Rip City Radio 620 AM

ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 102-90

PORTLAND HOME: Trail Blazers lead, 72-25

DENVER HOME: Nuggets lead, 65-30

CHASING HISTORY: Damian Lillard entered the 2022-23 season with 17,665 career points. He needs 221 points to pass Clyde Drexler and become the leading scorer in franchise history.

TRIPLE THREAT: Portland has three players averaging 20 or more points this season: Damian Lillard (25.8), Anfernee Simons (24.7) and Jerami Grant (23.0). The Trail Blazers have never had a season in which three players were averaging 20-plus points.

DEADLY FROM DISTANCE: The Trail Blazers rank fourth in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage at 38.3%.

SIMONS SAYS: Anfernee Simons recorded a career-high 45 points (15-25 FG, 7-12 3PT, 8-8 FT) in a 116-111 win at Utah on Dec. 3. His 33 points in the first half set a new franchise record for points in the first half, also tying his career high for
3PM in a half with seven. (Damian Lillard holds the franchise record for points in any half with 36.) He also marked the highest scoring quarter of his career with 23 points in the first and became the only player in the NBA this season to score
20-plus points in a quarter multiple times.

Highest Scoring Halves in the NBA This Season:
35……Joel Embiid (Nov. 13 vs. Utah)
34……Giannis Antetokounmpo (Oct. 26 vs. Brooklyn)
33……Anfernee Simons (Dec. 3 at Utah)

A GOOD STRETCH: Jerami Grant tallied his most points scored in a three-game stretch in his career with 105 (32 vs. Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 29, 29 at Brooklyn on Nov. 27, 44 at New York on Nov. 25).

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Anfernee Simons tied his career high with nine 3PM on Nov. 29 vs. the Clippers. It was his fourth career game with nine-plus threes, making him the seventh player in league history to record at least four career games with nine-plus 3PM. Damian Lillard is also on that list with nine games with nine-plus 3PM.

Most Career Games with Nine-Plus 3PM:
Steph Curry 38
James Harden 9
Damian Lillard 9
Klay Thompson 9
J.R. Smith 5
Kobe Bryant 4
Anfernee Simons 4

A HALF TO REMEMBER: The first half of the Nov. 29 matchup vs. the Clippers marked the best three-point shooting first half of the season for Portland (53.3%).

NEW MILESTONES IN NEW YORK: Jerami Grant scored a career- high 44 points on Nov. 25 at New York in a 132-129 overtime win. His 21 FTM and 28 FTA set new franchise records. His 25-point first half marked the 10th time he has scored 20-
plus points in a half, tying his second-highest scoring half in his career.

SOARING SIMONS: Anfernee Simons posted a season-high 38 points on Nov. 25 at New York. It was his eighth consecutive game scoring 20-plus points, extending the longest streak of his career and tying his second-most points in a game.

ALL HART: Josh Hart recorded a career-high 19 rebounds on Nov. 25 at New York along with 10 points, marking his first double-double of the season.

GIVE ME FIVE: Jerami Grant shot 5-7 from three in the first half on Nov. 23 at Cleveland, marking the third time in his career that he has made five-plus threes in a half.

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS: Shaedon Sharpe scored a career-high 20 points (7-9 FG, 4-5 3P, 2-2 FT) on Nov. 17 vs. Brooklyn, also setting a career high with four 3PM.

DAME DIMES: Damian Lillard tallied a season-high 12 assists on Nov. 12 at Dallas to go along with 29 points and seven rebounds.

Trail Blazers 116, Jazz 100 -- December 4, 2022 -- Moda Center -- Game #24 (13-11, 5-5 Home)

The Trail Blazers defeated the Pacers by a final score of 116-100 ... Jerami Grant tallied a team-high 28 points (9-21 FG, 3-10 3P, 7-7 FT) to go along with five rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes ... Anfernee Simons posted 22 points (8-14 FG, 5-9 3P, 1-1 FT), three rebounds, six assists and one steal in 36 minutes ... Damian Lillard recorded 21 points (7-16 FG, 5-10 3P, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block in 32 minutes ... Jusuf Nurkic logged 19 points (7-12 FG, 2-3 3P, 3-7 FT), six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in 28 minutes ... Josh Hart finished with 11 points (5-8 FG, 1-3 3P), 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals in 33 minutes ... Myles Turner led Indiana with 24 points to go along with nine rebounds in 28 minutes ... Buddy Hield put up a double-double for the Pacers with 22 points and 11 rebounds in 38 minutes.

Trail Blazers 116, Jazz 111 -- December 3, 2022 -- Vivint Arena -- Game #23 (12-11, 8-6 Away)

Portland defeated Utah by a final score of 116-111, improving to 6-0 this season when scoring at least 115 points ... Anfernee Simons posted a career-high 45 points (15-25 FG, 7-12 3P, 8-8 FT) to go along with four assists, one steal and two blocks in 41 minutes, also setting a franchise record for points in the first half with 33 ... Jerami Grant recorded 33 points (10-18 FG, 2-5 3P, 11-14 FT) and five assists in 37 minutes ... Jusuf Nurkic finished with 15 points (6-12 FG, 0-1 3P, 3-6 FT), 14 rebounds, four assists and one block in 39 minutes ... Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 24 points in 36 minutes.

Trail Blazers 109, Lakers 128 -- November 30, 2022 -- Crypto.com Arena -- Game #22 (11-11, 7-6 Away)

The Trail Blazers fell to the Lakers by a final score of 128-109 ... Jerami Grant posted a team-high 27 points (10-23 FG, 2-5 3P, 5-6 FT) to go along with four rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block in 25 minutes ... Anfernee Simons tallied 22 points (9-22 FG, 2-7 3P, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, eight assists and one steal in 39 minutes ... Justise Winslow finished with a season-high 21 points (9-11 FG, 3-3 3P), five rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes ... Trendon Watford recorded 10 points (4-6 FG, 0-1 3P, 2-2 FT) and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes in his first start of the season ... LeBron James led the Lakers with 31 points in 33 minutes to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds ... Anthony Davis put up a double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds in 29 minutes.

Trail Blazers 112, Clippers 118 -- November 29, 2022 -- Moda Center -- Game #21 (11-10, 4-5 Home)

The Trail Blazers fell to the Clippers by a final score of 118-112 ... Anfernee Simons logged a game-high 37 points (13-24 FG, 9-16 3P, 2-3 FT) to go along with two rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in 43 minutes ... Jerami Grant finished with 32 points (12-24 FG, 5-11 3P, 3-4 FT), three rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 38 minutes ... Jusuf Nurkic recorded 13 points (6-15 FG, 1-3 3P), 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 32 minutes ... Justise Winslow tallied his first double-double of the season with 10 points (4-10 FG, 0-1 3P, 2-2 FT), 13 rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes ... Norman Powell led the Clippers with 32 points in 24 minutes ... Reggie Jackson (24 points, 12 assists) and Ivica Zubac (12 points, 13 rebounds) put up double-doubles for the Clippers.

Trail Blazers 97, Nets 111 -- November 27, 2022 -- Barclays Center -- Game #20 (11-9, 7-5 Away)

Portland fell to Brooklyn by a final score of 111-97 ... Jerami Grant posted a team-high 29 points (11-24 FG, 5-10 3P, 2-2 FT) to go along with four rebounds and five assists in 40 minutes ... Jusuf Nurkic finished with 17 points (6-12 FG, 0-2 3P, 5-8 FT), 14 rebounds, four assists and one block in 34 minutes ... Anfernee Simons tallied 15 points (4-14 FG, 4-10 3P, 3-4 FT), one rebound, six assists and one steal in 40 minutes ... Justise Winslow logged 14 points (5-10 FG, 2-4 3P, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes ... Kevin Durant led the Nets with 31 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes. 

Drew Eubanks (Right Hip Contusion), Josh Hart (Left Ankle Sprain), and Keon Johnson (Left Hip Pointer) are PROBABLE while Nassir Little (Right Femoral Head Impaction Fracture), and Gary Payton II (Return to Competition Reconditioning) are OUT.

For the Nuggets, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Right Wrist Sprain) is PROBABLE while Collin Gillespie (Right Lower Leg Fracture), Michael Porter Jr. (Left Heel Strain), and Jack White (G League - Two-Way) are OUT.

Tip for Thursday's game is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT. All Portland Trail Blazers regular season and preseason games will be broadcast on the Trail Blazers Broadcasting flagship station, Rip City Radio 620 AM. Travis Demers begins his fourth full season providing play-by-play commentary for all home and away games, with Michael Holton adding commentary.

On television, ROOT SPORTS PLUS will air 81 Trail Blazers regular season games featuring Kevin Calabro calling play-by-play, Lamar Hurd providing analysis and Brooke Olzendam reporting from the sideline. Between ROOT SPORTS PLUS, TNT and ESPN, all 82 regular season games will be televised. For all viewing options, visit www.trailblazers.com/watch.