From: edrury@3cpu.rain.com (Ed Drury)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro
Subject: Blazer Week Seven
Date: 28 Dec 92 02:55:52 GMT
Article-I.D.: 3cpu.4334
Reply-To: edrury@3cpu.rain.com (Ed Drury)
Organization: Garden Lane Software




                               WEEK SEVEN
        
        
        
        12/22 Seattle 107 @ Portland 96
        
          Seattle   23   31   28   25
          Portland  19   25   27   25
        
 Clyde  Drexler played 39 painful minutes. Obviously hobbled,  the 
Glide  not only lacked his explosive move to the basket but  could 
not  get off the ground.  Seattle, playing  without   Shawn  Kemp, 
was efficient until half way through the forth quarter. The Sonics 
kicked  away 17 of a 20 point lead to allow the Blazers  to  close 
within 3 on two occasions. A blown layup by Terry Porter that  led 
to a Gary Payton jumper from the left wing in transition ended the 
Blazers come back bid.  
        
   So, it came as no surprise when two announcements were made the 
day  after Christmas. Team physician Robert Cook had called for  a 
second  opinion  from  an orthopedist in  Eugene.  The  consulting 
physician found nothing new in Clyde's condition. Drexler will  be 
out  of action for at least the next  six  days.  Jerome  Kersey's 
rehabilitation regime as shifted from the gym to the pool as he is 
running  in water. Perhaps it is coincidence that head coach  Rick 
Adelman  described  his starting unit's  performance  against  the 
Sonics as running in sand.  The nba is not a beach party, however, 
and  Portland  is without two of its starters  for  an  indefinite 
amount of time.
        
        12/26 Philadelphia 115 @ Portland 121 (OT)
         
         Philadelphia   25   26   35   22   7
         Portland       30   37   24   17  13
        
 While  Philadelphia  is not a good team, it is  dangerous.  Sharp 
shooter's  Hawkins, Hornacek and Anderson have several notches  in 
their guns already. The Sixers knocked off Chicago and Indiana  on 
the  road  early in the week. Added to that mix of fire  power  is 
7'7"  fly swatter Manute Bol, who blocked 5 shots and   frustrated 
Blazer guard Rod Strickland's penetration.

 Portland  got off to the proper start. With good  ball  movement, 
Portland  built a 16 point half time lead on nineteen assists.  In 
the third quarter Hornacek came out firing. He had 3 baskets  from 
behind  the home run line. Philly tied the Blazers at the  end  of 
regulation  on an Anderson three pointer. In overtime, the  Sixers 
jumped out to a four point lead. However, some clutch shooting  by 
Kevin  Duckworth and a couple of defensive stops allowed  Portland 
to pull out the win. 
        
 Buck  Williams  led all rebounders with 19.  Cliff  Robinson  led 
Portland's balanced attack with 31. 29 of game high Hornacek's  35 
points  came in the second half and in overtime before  he  fouled 
out in the closing seconds.
        
                          Week Seven
        
 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

                           Last Week
        
 Name       G    M    FG%    FT%  3PT%     PPG    PPM     RPG  APG
Strickland  3 37.3  65.2%  90.0%   0.0%   23.0    0.62    4.3  6.7
Porter      3 39.3  56.4%  73.3%  55.6%   20.0    0.51    3.3  5.7
Drexler     3   28  42.9%  76.2%  45.5%   19.0    0.68    5.7  3.3
Robinson    3 37.7  36.5%  66.7%  33.3%   17.7    0.47    7.0  2.0
Duckworth   2 29.5  43.8% 100.0%    ---   10.0    0.34    2.5  0.0
Williams    3 32.3  54.5%  54.5%    ---   10.0    0.31    8.3  1.0
Elie        3   20  40.0%  87.5%  40.0%    8.3    0.42    4.0  1.7
Murray      3 8.33  28.6%    ---  40.0%    4.7    0.56    1.0  0.7
Bryant      3   16  30.8%  33.3%    ---    3.0    0.19    3.7  0.3
Smith       2    2   0.0%   0.0%    ---    1.0    0.50    0.5  0.0
Johnson     2    2   0.0%    ---    ---    0.0    0.00    0.0  0.0
Wolf        2  1.5    ---    ---    ---    0.0    0.00    0.5  0.0
        

		       BLAZER INK
        
 Cliff Robinson was the subject of a Christmas day article in  the 
Oregonian  by Jeff Baker. The article talks about the  differences 
between  Cliff  last season and Cliff this season. There  are  the 
technical improvements, of course. Cliff has improved his shooting 
and  decision  making on the court.  The article,  however,   also 
focuses  on  Cliff's  new responsibilities  as  a  single  parent. 
Responsibilities  that may have a big role in his maturation as  a 
player in the NBA.
    
 Jessica  is the five year old daughter of a girl Cliff  dated  in 
college.  Although  Cliff has not been involved  emotionally  with 
Jessica's  mother  since  those  days,  he  willing  accepted  the 
probability  that  the  child was his. He  has  always  took  that 
responsibility seriously, paying child support even after a  blood 
test  showed that Cliff could not be Jessica's biological  father. 
Now  Jessica is living with Cliff in Portland. Cliff's sister  and 
her  little girl round out his current household. Cliff is in  the 
process of legally adopting Jessica.

 It  was  a  nice piece to appear  on  Christmas  Day.  Especially 
considering a more negative column written by Dwight Jaynes a  few 
weeks  ago. Jaynes' article reviewed several of the more  volatile 
aspects  of  Cliff's personality. Mr. Jaynes cautioned not  to  be 
giving out post season awards to Cliff just yet. Dwight  recounted 
the fighting incident in an after hours bar Cliff's rookie  season 
and  his speeding ticket after the Western Conference finals  last 
year.

		    ON THE BOOKSHELF

 "Against the World" is a book written by Dwight Jaynes and  Kerry 
Eggers  on  the Trailblazer 1991-92 season. It is  promoted  as  a 
behind  the  scenes look at the players and organization.  It  is, 
however,  not  a hardball league effort. As advertised, it  is  an 
"uncensored"  account in that when an F word was heard, an F  word 
was printed. Beyond that, I found few surprises in the book. It is 
an enjoyable book to read however. There were incidents  recounted 
which  offer  entertaining  insights  into  several  personalities 
involved  in the Trailblazer organization and other franchises  as 
well.  My  opinion  of  the book is that it is  a  must  read  for 
Trailblazer  fans,  but  many  others  would  enjoy  it  as  well. 
Certainly not on a level with "Breaks of the Game." And it is  not 
the sugar coated swill of "Hang Time" or the overly self conscious 
"Long  Hot Winter". The book was published by Sagamore  Publishing 
of  Champaign  Illinois  and  sells for $19.95  in  a  hard  bound 
edition.

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Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro