Blazers PG Anfernee Simons OUT vs. Hawks

The Portland Trail Blazers kickoff a six-game road trip tonight against the Atlanta Hawks, but they’ll be doing so without a couple of starters, according to Rose Garden Report’s Sean Highkin.

Blazers are ruling Anfernee Simons out tonight vs. Atlanta.

The fifth-year guard is averaging a career-best 21.1 points per game in his first full season in the starting lineup.

Simons joins Justise Winslow (left ankle sprain), Ibou Badji (left knee soreness), Jusuf Nurkic (left calf strain) and Ryan Arcidiacono (lower back pain) on the injury report.

Simons hurt his ankle shortly before the All-Star Break and missed the next three games, but in his return Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, the fifth-year pro re-aggravated his injury and will sit tonight’s game.

Simons is traveling with the team on the road trip, but it’s unclear if or when he’ll return to the court while Portland is away from home.

The timing could not have come at a worse time for the Blazers, who sit 1.5 games behind the Pelicans for the final spot in the play-in tournament. That being said, the next three games for Portland come against teams that are .500 or worse (Hawks, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons), but the second half of the road trip is more challenging (Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Hornets), so if Simons could return by then, that would be in the Blazers’ best interest.