From: edrury@3cpu.rain.com (Ed Drury)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro
Subject: Blazer Week 8
Date: 4 Jan 93 19:56:26 GMT
Reply-To: edrury@3cpu.rain.com (Ed Drury)
Organization: Garden Lane Software



		       WEEK EIGHT

 The blazers put Clyde Drexler on the injured reserve list due  to 
recurring  pain in his right knee. Portland's All-Star guard  will 
miss  tonights  game against Dallas. According  to  league  rules, 
Clyde  will not be eligible to play until the January 9th  in  San 
Antonio. Drexler probably will not play in that game as it is  the 
last game of a three game road trip. He joins Jerome Kersey on the 
injured reserve list. 

 An article on Dave Johnson in the Tuesday paper sparked lot's  of 
conversation  on the local talk shows. In it, Johnson seems to  be 
grousing   about  playing  time.  His  quotes,  as  well  as   the 
announcement concerning Drexler, set the stage for the first  game 
of week eight.

 "It's tough, really tough," Johnson said, "especially now because 
we're struggling a little bit and we've got a couple of guys  out. 
I  just  want  a chance. Right now, there's two guys  out  at  the 
positions I play. They want to go with veterans, and I  understand 
that,  but  I  haven't had the  opportunity  to  play  significant 
minutes  and show what I can do. All I can do now is work hard  in 
practice  and be ready when I get the chance. I didn't  expect  to 
come in here and not play and be content. I want to get my chances 
and  play, not just wait for somebody to go down. I can help  this 
team win games."

12/30 Dallas  92  at Portland 111

 Dallas  should be good medicine for any team that is  struggling. 
The problem with many medications is that they also can put you to 
sleep. After building an easy 17 point lead in the second quarter, 
Portland decided it had played enough defense for the night.  They 
settled for a 56-49 half time lead and came out in the second half 
so  lethargic  as  to allow Dallas to tie the game at  74  in  the 
closing  seconds of the third. Portland began the fourth with a  2 
point lead. Enter Dave Johnson into the lineup, and with him  that 
hunger  to play. His defense, and Terry Porter's 14  point  fourth 
quarter, sparked the Blazers as they ran away with the game in the 
final  stanza. Johnson completed his night with a four point  play 
after  playing  the  entire fourth  period.  Leading  scorers  for 
Portland  was  Terry Porter with 30, Strickland with 23  and  Buck 
Williams  with 17. Kevin Duckworth played an efficient 27  minutes 
going 6 for 9 from the floor and contributing 15 points.

1/2 Utah 110 at Portland 102

 The Jazz won their first game in Portland in 3 years. Utah  built 
a  18 point first half lead. Portland caught them and  went  ahead 
briefly in the third period, only to fall short at the free  throw 
line  and  loose the game. Terry Porter tied his own  team  record 
with  7  made three pointers. Kevin Duckworth turned in  a  strong 
performance with 27 points. However,  the Blazers were a  combined 
10  for  40 from their forwards and made only 23 of  37  from  the 
line.

 Karl  Malone scored 29 points and was a perfect 9 for 9 from  the 
charity  stripe. After Utah had relinquished all of it's 18  point 
lead,  they capitalized on missed Portland free throws  and  built 
another double digit lead in the fourth.  Portland charged back to 
within  two  points  at 90-88. Then  the  Mailman  delivered  five 
straight points, throwing Buck Williams to the floor with his left 
hand on one of them.

 With Jerome Kersey and Clyde Drexler on the injured reserve list, 
Portland signed former Utah Jazz guard Delaney Rudd to backup  Rod 
Strickland  at point. Delaney just arrived in Portland in time  to 
suit up for the game, but did not play.

  Utah      32   31   16   31
  Portland  22   27   27   26

1/3 Houston 101 at Portland 103

 Portland  reactivated  starting  forward  Jerome  Kersey.  Kersey 
missed  13 games while being on injured reserve.  Hakeem  Olajuwon 
was  sensational,  scoring a game high 40 points and  10  blocking 
shots.  Houston  jumped  out  to a 15-2 start  and  held  a  50-38 
advantage  at  the  half.  Regulation ended  in  a  tie  when  Rod 
Strickland  stole  the ball from Matt Bullard and scored  a  layup 
with just 4.9 seconds. Portland again stole the ball from  Houston 
and  Buck  Williams  passed it to Terry Porter.  Porter  was  then 
blatantly  tripped  by either Otis Thorpe or Vernon  Maxwell,  but 
there was no foul called.

 The overtime period came down to foul shooting. Buck Williams had 
4 trips to the line in the closing seconds with Portland holding a 
2  point lead. He bricked all four of them. Buck redeemed  himself 
at  the  other end by blocking a game tying dunk attempt  by  Otis 
Thorpe. Rod Strickland led Portland with 25 points and 10 assists. 
Terry Porter continued his three point shooting streak going 4 for 
7  from the stripe. Kersey, in his first game back, fouled out  in 
overtime. Jerome had 13 points and a game high 5 steals.

 Houston   30   20   20   27  4
 Portland  19   19   27   32  6

		    Week Eight

Name        G   M    FG%    FT%   3PT%    PPG     PPM     RPG  APG
------------------------------------------------------------------
Porter      3   43  51.9%  77.8%  58.3%   25.0    0.58    3.7  6.3
Strickland  3 41.3  66.7%  78.6%   0.0%   23.7    0.57    7.3  7.3
Duckworth   3   33  44.7%  80.0%    ---   17.7    0.54    6.0  0.7
Kersey      1   37  31.3%  75.0%    ---   13.0    0.35    7.0  2.0
Robinson    3   32  25.5%  42.9%   0.0%   10.0    0.31    8.7  2.3
Williams    3 31.7  36.4%  50.0%    ---    8.7    0.27   11.0  1.0
Elie        3   27  31.0%  66.7%  20.0%    7.7    0.28    5.0  2.3
Bryant      3 19.3  55.6%  83.3%    ---    5.0    0.26    5.7  1.0
Johnson     2    8  28.6%  66.7% 100.0%    3.5    0.44    0.5  0.0
Murray      2    5  20.0%    ---  25.0%    1.5    0.30    0.5  0.0
Drexler     0  ---    ---    ---    ---    ---     ---    ---  ---
Smith       0  ---    ---    ---    ---    ---     ---    ---  ---

		    Last Week

 Name       G    M    FG%    FT%  3PT%     PPG    PPM     RPG  APG
------------------------------------------------------------------
Robinson    2   38  52.2%  88.9%  50.0%   29.5    0.78   12.0  2.5
Porter      2 42.5  40.0%  50.0%  25.0%   18.0    0.42    5.0  7.0
Elie        2 28.5  60.0% 100.0%  20.0%   16.5    0.58    2.5  2.5
Drexler     1   39  27.8%  75.0%  20.0%   14.0    0.36    6.0  3.0
Duckworth   2 28.5  52.4%  80.0%    ---   13.0    0.46    5.0  2.5
Strickland  2 42.5  36.7%  75.0%    ---   12.5    0.29    4.0 10.0
Williams    2 33.5  35.3%  75.0%    ---    7.5    0.22   13.0  0.5
Murray      1    5  40.0%    ---   0.0%    4.0    0.80    0.0  0.0
Bryant      2 15.5  40.0%  50.0%    ---    2.5    0.16    5.0  1.0

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Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro