Anfernee Simons played a season-high in minutes as the Boston Celtics lost their eighth game of the season at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets. Unfortunately for Boston, a 40-25 second quarter set the tone for the rest of the game, as Joe Mazzulla’s team tried to dig itself out of a hole. During his postgame news conference, Simons referenced Boston’s slow start when asked about what went wrong on the floor. “The biggest reason is just a slow start,” Simons said, via CLNS Media. “Our first half, we didn’t play the brand of basketball we want to play, and we found ourselves digging ourselves out of a hole that we could have prevented.” Despite the loss, Simons had a strong showing. He played 33 minutes off the bench, ending the game with 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, along with four assists, three rebounds and two steals. It’s also worth noting that he played solid defense, which was a significant concern for the fanbase when he was acquired as part of the trade that sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers earlier this summer. “I thought his presence defensively was probably the best it’s been all season,” Joe Mazzulla said after the game, via CLNS Media. “So I thought he just played well and he deserved to be out there.” Story continues below advertisement Simons is in the final year of his current four-year, $100 million contract. He will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. As such, performances like the one against Brooklyn are vital for both him and the Celtics. After all, Simons could be a trade chip for the Celtics closer to the trade deadline. Or he could look to leverage his production into an extended stay with the franchise. For now, though, Simons must continue to build on this impressive showing, especially as the Celtics try to find a rhythm and build some consistency. Boston will be back in action on Sunday, when it faces the Orlando Magic for the third time this season, having split the first two meetings. Story continues below advertisement