The Brooklyn Nets (14-26) came into Tuesday's game at the Portland Trail Blazers (13-26) on a five-game losing streak with the players feeling frustrated with the recent bout of losing. Despite the fact that starting center Nic Claxton wasn't available due to right hamstring soreness,

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 one of the younger teams in the NBA, the Blazers have made strides this year, but they’re still far from ready to compete with playoff-level competition on a regular basis. Portland ranks 27th in the league in offensive rating (108.6), and nearly as poorly on the other end, sitting 26th in defensive rating (117.1).