We caught up with Anfernee Simons ahead of tonight's contest to get a few thoughts on basketball, life, and giving back to the city where he grew up. When the Magic host the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 23, it’ll be a homecoming for one of the league’s brightest young stars – Anfernee Simons.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons has rediscovered his shooting touch just in time for his homecoming Thursday in Orlando, Florida. On Tuesday night, Simons shook off one of his worst scoring stretches to lead the Blazers with 24 points during a 116-107 win at the Miami Heat.

As the NBA trade deadline on February 6 approaches, the Portland Trail Blazers face some tough decisions regarding the future of their roster. One name drawing

Simons has been upgraded from questionable to available Thursday despite dealing with lower back soreness. The 25-year-old guard is averaging 20.2 points, 5.0 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 34.2 minutes across his previous 10 outings.

Anfernee Simons poured in 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and the visiting Portland Trail Blazers overcame early rough stretches to beat the short-handed Charlotte Hornets 102-97 on Friday.

On the night that saw rising star forward Franz Wagner make his long-awaited return to the court, nothing came easy for the Magic against the visiting Trail

The Portland Trail Blazers never trailed in the second half Thursday on its way to a dominating 101-79 win at Orlando.

Anfernee Simons scored 21 points and the Portland Trail Blazers extended their winning streak to three with a 100-79 victory over Orlando on Thursday night, spoiling the return of Magic forward Franz Wagner.

The Orlando Magic (23-22) are hosting the Portland Trail Blazers (15-28) on Thursday night; the time, TV channels, and free live

Anfernee Simons produced a game-high 24 points, Deandre Ayton registered his 18th double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds and Jerami Grant added 18 points to lead the Trail Blazers. Simons is averaging 4.2 3-pointers per game since Jan. 1, the third-most in the NBA over that span.

Pope’s Orlando Magic (23-22) play at Kia Center on Thursday, January 23, beginning at 7:00 PM ET.The Magic fell in their most

Portland Trail Blazers (15-28, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (23-22, eighth in the Eastern Conference) Orlando, Florida; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Orlando aims to break its four-game losing streak when the Magic play Portland.