The Celtics looked destined for their third straight-loss after a 19-point deficit to open the first quarter against the Miami Heat at the Kaseya Center Thursday night.
Joe Mazzulla turned to his bench of Anfernee Simons and Jordan Walsh, who both checked in together to not only get some offense going but helped grab rebounds and play some defense to spark a Boston rally.
In the end, Walsh (four points) grabbed eight rebounds (four them on the offensive glass) to go along with an assist and a block, while Simons finished with a game and season-high 39 points on 13-of-28 from the field, including 7-of-16 from deep to help lead the Celtics to a 119-114 win over the Heat on the road.
"Obviously, we were down big," Simons said in his postgame presser. "And we were kind of struggling. So, I just wanted to be aggressive."
Simons' 39-point performance beat his previous season-high of 27 points in a 115-101 win over the Bulls less than two weeks ago, and it was the fifth-highest scoring output of his seven-year NBA career.
While the 26-year-old had 11 points in the first quarter, it was his brilliant fourth period where he dropped 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 11-straight during an 18-7 Celtics' run en route to outscoring Miami 37-21 in the final frame.
"That was big time," Jaylen Brown said during his postgame comments. "That was an amazing performance off the bench. That was one of his best performances of the year. And we needed every basket. He was great tonight."
Brown, who also had 27 points, seven rebounds for the game, bounced back nicely from having only seven points and four turnovers in the first half to a 20-point and one-turnover final 24 minutes. He spoke about giving Simons a breather on some possessions in the fourth quarter despite him having the hot hand.
"The basketball is like that," Brown said. "It'll tell you what needs to happen. So, Ant was hot, and we just kept going back to him. That's what the game called for. A couple possessions that I got it in the fourth quarter, I just wanted to give him a break because he wanted to catch his breath for a little bit."
Simons becomes the fourth player in franchise history to score 39 points or more off the bench joining Larry Bird (47 points in 1985), Payton Pritchard (43 points in 2025) and Todd Day (41 points in 1995).
In addition to his great offensive display, it was also Simons' defense that drew high praise from Mazzulla, as it was another major factor in the C's snapping a two-game skid.
"I thought he was great," Mazzulla told reporters. "The scoring is what he's done most of his career, but to me it's the way he defended. He had a blindside block, a couple of in-traffic rebounds, was physical at the point of attack -- just a complete game."
Known for his scoring capabilities in Portland, where he had multiple seasons of averaging 20-plus points, Simons' arrival in Boston and his $27.6 million salary didn't seem like it would stick around for long on a roster that had endured so many changes. But despite being linked in trade talk rumors to multiple teams due to having an expiring contract, Simons has shown what he can bring to the Celtics in a new role -- especially as of late -- that may make a strong case to keep the veteran guard.
Since January 1, Simons is averaging 18.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 49.1% from the field and 51.6% from 3-point range.
With the NBA trade deadline on February 5, which is right around the corner, there's still no guarantee the Celtics at 25-15 (second in the East) will stand pat on moving Simons. In the meantime, he remains focused on what he can control which is contributing to winning the best way he can while wearing a C's jersey, leaving all decisions up to the organization.
So what has been the secret to managing his role in Boston versus the one he had in Portland? According to Simons, it hasn't been anything really complicated up to this point.
"Just being coachable," Simons explained. "Having some humility on the things you need to get better at, and just accepting the role, trying to be the best version of it. It's got its ups and downs, but for the most part I feel like I'm learning each and every game, and you just go with the flow and continue to try to improve."
Simons and the Celtics take on the new-look Atlanta Hawks (20-23) Saturday night before facing the East-leading Detroit Pistons (29-10) on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Joel Pavón
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