Simons, Blazers rally past Knicks

PORTLAND, ORE.

Anfernee Simons had 30 points and eight assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers erased a 23-point, third-quarter deficit to beat the New York Knicks 112103 on Saturday.

Newly acquired guard Josh Hart, one of several players new to Portland’s roster after a flurry of trades before the deadline, added 23 points in his Blazers debut.

Portland closed the gap to-98-92 in the final period when Simons and Ben McLemore hit back-to-back three-pointers. Jusuf Nurkic’s dunk finally put Portland in front 99-98 with 4:23 left, capping a 20-4 run.

Portland outscored New York 35-11 in the fourth quarter.

The teams traded threepointers from Alec Burks and Simons before Hart’s layup gave Portland a 106101 lead with just under two minutes to play, and New York couldn’t catch up.

Julius Randle led the Knicks with 28 points and 16 rebounds, while Kemba Walker added 23 points.

Hart was acquired in a multiple-player trade that sent longtime Blazers guard CJ McCollum to New Orleans. The move marked something of an end to an era in Portland with McCollum and Damian Lillard anchoring the backcourt.

“He plays with a sense of urgency all the time, and chip on his shoulder all the time,” Blazers first-year coach Chauncey Billups said about Hart. “He loves to play defense. You know, he loves to take matchups on offensively. He can obviously shoot the basketball but he’s a downhill driver.”

Justise Winslow, another newcomer who came via a trade with the Clippers, also started.