Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons got off to another rocky start Friday night at home against the Sacramento Kings – at least when it comes to shooting the ball.

Simons scored just two points on 1-for-4 shooting in the first half. He had four assists and the Blazers led 54-50. Yet these two points were hushed loudly by a $100 million man who received this payday and the nickname “Antferno” due to volcanic eruptions. He was probably on his way to being crucified by box score vultures for another cold shooting night in a season that, unusually, featured several of them in 20 games.

In the second half, Simons failed to respond by forcing the issue. He continued to distribute, but his shooting came back with rushing attacks and layoffs from beyond the 3-point line. The end result wasn’t one of those typical flamethrower performances. Instead, Simons had one of his most controlled and efficient games in a comfortable 115-106 win over Portland: 21 points, nine assists and five rebounds on 8-14 shooting from the field and 3-8 shooting from three.

“He just played a heck of a point guard game,” Portland head coach Chauncey Billups told reporters after the win.

Billups also used the word “proud” to describe his thoughts on Simons’ performance. He was proud of how Simons stayed the course after difficult shooting in the first half. He was proud of his defensive performance, highlighted by two steals and a tackle. And he was proud of how Simons remained effective whether the shot fell or not.

“I talk to Ant about it a lot,” Billups said. “I say, ‘You can’t be that player who only plays well when you score a goal.’ He’s so much better. It attracts a lot of gravity out there.”

Given the seriousness that Simons carries and the way the Kings play defense by blitzing the ball handlers, Billups told Simons before the game that he probably wouldn’t score many points on pick-and-rolls. He had to be willing to sacrifice his points for the right reads and trust in his teammates – something Simons did time and time again.

“I thought he did that all night,” Billups said of Simons’ willingness to pass. “Then he was able to rock her to sleep a little bit and hit the lightning, so I was proud of his overall result.”

“He was great for us the whole game,” added Portland guard Dalano Banton. “Just making the easy pass, making the easy reading possible. … Even if he’s not making shots, he can still find ways to impact the game at a high level.”

Simon’s altruistic performance was a sign of a balanced performance from the Blazers squad. Six players reached double-digit points, including three who broke through into the 20s. The Blazers recorded 27 assists, their third-highest mark of the season.

Starting center Deandre Ayton scored a season-high 26 points and grabbed nine boards. Banton scored 17 goals off the bench, including 3-6 from long range. Simons’ starting backcourt mate, Shaedon Sharpe, also scored just two points in the first half, but he continued to attack and finished the game with a respectable 14 points and five assists.

Portland forward Deni Avdija continued his recent string of impressive games. Avdija scored a season-high 20 points on 7-15 shooting from the field and a refreshing 4-9 on 3-pointers, while also notching nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and zero turnovers. After a slow offensive start, Avdija is gaining confidence and adjusting to his role in a new team. Avdija plays like the Swiss Army Knife player the Blazers envisioned when they gave up a small bevy of assets to acquire the 6-foot-9 winger this summer.

Friday’s 20-point performance extended a streak of seven straight games with Avdija scoring in double figures and shooting over 40% from the field. During this time, he also averaged 7.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

“What do you think?” A smiling Billups responded to a reporter when asked if he had recently figured out how to make better use of Avdija. “Of course, of course. I was proud of Deni, man. …We get to know each other better. This is who we really are. Whether he’s in the starting line-up or coming off the bench, he knows our boys. Our boys figured him out. When he rebounds, he’s like a one-man fast break.”

“I have built a relationship and chemistry with the other guys and the coaches and I feel like they understand how I play now,” Avdija added. “I give them better shots, they give me better shots, and I feel like I have to get used to it, and that’s what happens when you come to a new place.”

Team-wide production was the reason the Blazers were in good shape, even if Simons struggled to find the net. Once he got going in the second half, the collective force of the Blazers’ offense brought down the Kings in Portland.

“We just played for each other, we made the easy pass,” Billups said. “I always tell our guys, ‘Hit singles, man.’ …Don’t worry about anything, just hit singles and trust the guy when he gets it he’ll do the right thing.’ I thought we did that as well this year as any other time.”