# 1990–91 Portland Trail Blazers season

The 1990–91 Portland Trail Blazers season was the 21st season for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Blazers acquired Danny Ainge from the Sacramento Kings, and later on traded second-year guard Dražen Petrović to the New Jersey Nets, and acquired Walter Davis from the Denver Nuggets in a three-team midseason trade. The Blazers won their first eleven games of the season, on their way to a franchise best start at a record of 27–3, and holding a 39–9 record at the All-Star break. They would post a 16-game winning streak near the end of the season as they finished with a league best record at 63–19, setting a franchise-high win total that still stands today, and made their ninth consecutive trip to the NBA Playoffs. It was their first Pacific Division title since the 1977–78 season, and ended the Los Angeles Lakers' streak of nine straight years as Pacific Division champions and number-one seed in the Western Conference.
Clyde Drexler averaged 21.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, and finished in sixth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Terry Porter averaged 17.0 points, 8.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game, and Kevin Duckworth provided the team with 15.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Drexler, Porter and Duckworth were all selected for the 1991 NBA All-Star Game, with head coach Rick Adelman coaching the Western Conference. In addition, Jerome Kersey contributed 14.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, while Buck Williams provided with 11.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Off the bench, second-year forward Clifford Robinson averaged 11.7 points per game, and Ainge contributed 11.1 points per game. Adelman also finished in second place in Coach of the Year voting.
However, after advancing to the Western Conference finals with a 3–2 win over the Seattle SuperSonics in the Western Conference First Round, and a 4–1 win over the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Semi-finals, the Blazers were denied a second straight trip to the NBA Finals, falling to the 3rd-seeded Lakers in six games in the Western Conference finals. The Lakers would lose in five games to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.
Following the season, Davis was released to free agency, and re-signed with his former team, the Denver Nuggets.

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
| 1 | 25 | Alaa Abdelnaby | PF | Egypt | Duke |

## Regular season
### Season standings

| Pacific Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Portland Trail Blazers | 63 | 19 | .768 | — | 36–5 | 27–14 | 18-10 |
| x-Los Angeles Lakers | 58 | 24 | .707 | 5 | 33–8 | 25-16 | 19-9 |
| x-Phoenix Suns | 55 | 27 | .671 | 8 | 32–9 | 23-18 | 17–11 |
| x-Golden State Warriors | 44 | 38 | .537 | 19 | 30–11 | 14–27 | 13–15 |
| x-Seattle SuperSonics | 41 | 41 | .500 | 22 | 28-13 | 13–28 | 12-16 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 31 | 51 | .378 | 32 | 23–18 | 8-33 | 10-18 |
| Sacramento Kings | 25 | 57 | .305 | 38 | 24-17 | 1–40 | 9–19 |
    y – clinched division title
    x – clinched playoff spot
| # | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | z-Portland Trail Blazers | 63 | 19 | .768 | – |
| 2 | y-San Antonio Spurs | 55 | 27 | .671 | 8 |
| 3 | x-Los Angeles Lakers | 58 | 24 | .707 | 5 |
| 4 | x-Phoenix Suns | 55 | 27 | .671 | 8 |
| 5 | x-Utah Jazz | 54 | 28 | .659 | 9 |
| 6 | x-Houston Rockets | 52 | 30 | .634 | 11 |
| 7 | x-Golden State Warriors | 44 | 38 | .537 | 19 |
| 8 | x-Seattle SuperSonics | 41 | 41 | .500 | 22 |
| 9 | Orlando Magic | 31 | 51 | .378 | 32 |
| 10 | Los Angeles Clippers | 31 | 51 | .378 | 32 |
| 11 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 29 | 53 | .354 | 34 |
| 12 | Dallas Mavericks | 28 | 54 | .341 | 35 |
| 13 | Sacramento Kings | 25 | 57 | .305 | 38 |
| 14 | Denver Nuggets | 20 | 62 | .244 | 43 |
    z – clinched division title
    y – clinched division title
    x – clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1990–91 NBA records :
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MIA | MIL | MIN | NJN | NYK | ORL | PHI | PHO | POR | SAC | SAS | SEA | UTA | WAS |
| Atlanta | – | 3–1 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 |
| Boston | 1–3 | – | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 |
| Charlotte | 4–1 | 1–3 | – | 0–5 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 |
| Chicago | 4–1 | 2–2 | 5–0 | – | 5–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| Cleveland | 2–3 | 1–3 | 4–1 | 0–5 | – | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 |
| Dallas | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | – | 3–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 0–5 | 2–0 |
| Denver | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | – | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 1–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–1 |
| Detroit | 5–0 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | – | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 |
| Golden State | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | – | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 |
| Houston | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 0–2 | 2–2 | – | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| Indiana | 1–4 | 2–2 | 5–0 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | – | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 |
| L.A. Clippers | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | – | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 |
| L.A. Lakers | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | – | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 |
| Miami | 0–4 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | – | 0–4 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 |
| Milwaukee | 3–2 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | – | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| Minnesota | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 |
| New Jersey | 1–3 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | – | 0–5 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 |
| New York | 1–3 | 0–5 | 4–0 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 5–0 | – | 0–2 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 |
| Orlando | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | – | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–4 | 1–1 |
| Philadelphia | 4–0 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 2–0 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 |
| Phoenix | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | – | 3–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 |
| Portland | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | – | 3–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 |
| Sacramento | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–3 | – | 1–3 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 2–0 |
| San Antonio | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | – | 3–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 |
| Seattle | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–4 | 4–1 | 1–3 | – | 1–3 | 2–0 |
| Utah | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 3–1 | – | 2–0 |
| Washington | 2–2 | 1–5 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — |

### Game log
## Playoffs

1991 playoff game log :
First round
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 26
Seattle
W 110–102
Clyde Drexler (39)
Kevin Duckworth (13)
Clyde Drexler (9)
Memorial Coliseum 12,884
1–0
2
April 28
Seattle
W 115–106
Clyde Drexler (22)
Kevin Duckworth (10)
Clyde Drexler (10)
Memorial Coliseum 12,884
2–0
3
April 30
@ Seattle
L 99–102
Clyde Drexler (23)
Buck Williams (11)
Clyde Drexler (11)
Seattle Center Coliseum 14,476
2–1
4
May 2
@ Seattle
L 89–101
Jerome Kersey (20)
Williams, Robinson (9)
Jerome Kersey (5)
Seattle Center Coliseum 13,367
2–2
5
May 4
Seattle
W 119–107
Terry Porter (23)
Buck Williams (12)
Terry Porter (11)
Memorial Coliseum 12,884
3–2 :
Conference Semi-finals
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
May 7
Utah
W 117–97
Clyde Drexler (20)
Clyde Drexler (15)
Terry Porter (9)
Memorial Coliseum 12,884
1–0
2
May 9
Utah
W 118–116
Jerome Kersey (34)
Jerome Kersey (6)
Clyde Drexler (15)
Memorial Coliseum 12,884
2–0
3
May 11
@ Utah
L 101–107
Terry Porter (28)
Drexler, Kersey (10)
Clyde Drexler (7)
Delta Center 12,616
2–1
4
May 12
@ Utah
W 104–101
Kevin Duckworth (30)
Duckworth, Drexler (11)
Clyde Drexler (10)
Delta Center 12,616
3–1
5
May 14
Utah
W 103–96
Drexler, Porter (22)
Buck Williams (12)
Clyde Drexler (8)
Memorial Coliseum 12,884
4–1 :
Conference finals
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
May 18
L.A. Lakers
L 106–111
Clyde Drexler (28)
Buck Williams (10)
Clyde Drexler (12)
Memorial Coliseum 12,884
0–1
2
May 21
L.A. Lakers
W 109–98
Terry Porter (26)
Buck Williams (11)
Terry Porter (8)
Memorial Coliseum 12,884
1–1
3
May 24
@ L.A. Lakers
L 92–106
Jerome Kersey (19)
Buck Williams (11)
Terry Porter (7)
Great Western Forum 17,505
1–2
4
May 26
@ L.A. Lakers
L 95–116
Jerome Kersey (25)
Drexler, Williams (8)
Terry Porter (10)
Great Western Forum 17,505
1–3
5
May 28
L.A. Lakers
W 95–84
Jerome Kersey (20)
Buck Williams (16)
Clyde Drexler (7)
Memorial Coliseum 12,884
2–3
6
May 30
@ L.A. Lakers
L 90–91
Terry Porter (24)
Clyde Drexler (8)
Clyde Drexler (6)
Great Western Forum 17,505
2–4 :
1991 schedule :

## Player statistics
### Regular season

| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| Clyde Drexler | 82 | 82 | 34.8 | .482 | .319 | .794 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 1.8 | .7 | 21.5 |
| Clifford Robinson | 82 | 11 | 23.7 | .463 | .316 | .653 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .9 | 11.7 |
| Terry Porter | 81 | 81 | 32.9 | .515 | .415 | .823 | 3.5 | 8.0 | 2.0 | .1 | 17.0 |
| Kevin Duckworth | 81 | 81 | 31.0 | .481 | .000 | .772 | 6.6 | 1.1 | .4 | .4 | 15.8 |
| Buck Williams | 80 | 80 | 32.3 | .602 | | .705 | 9.4 | 1.2 | .6 | .6 | 11.7 |
| Danny Ainge | 80 | 0 | 21.4 | .472 | .406 | .826 | 2.6 | 3.6 | .8 | .2 | 11.1 |
| Danny Young | 75 | 1 | 12.0 | .380 | .346 | .911 | 1.0 | 1.9 | .7 | .1 | 3.8 |
| Jerome Kersey | 73 | 72 | 32.3 | .478 | .308 | .709 | 6.6 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 14.8 |
| Wayne Cooper | 67 | 1 | 11.1 | .393 | .000 | .786 | 2.8 | .3 | .1 | .9 | 2.2 |
| Mark Bryant | 53 | 0 | 14.7 | .488 | .000 | .733 | 3.6 | .5 | .3 | .2 | 5.1 |
| Alaa Abdelnaby | 43 | 0 | 6.7 | .474 | | .568 | 2.1 | .3 | .1 | .3 | 3.1 |
| Walter Davis$^†$ | 32 | 1 | 13.7 | .446 | .333 | .913 | 1.8 | 1.3 | .6 | .0 | 6.1 |
| Dražen Petrović$^†$ | 18 | 0 | 7.4 | .451 | .167 | .682 | 1.0 | 1.1 | .3 | .0 | 4.4 |

### Playoffs

| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| Clyde Drexler | 16 | 16 | 39.6 | .476 | .268 | .776 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 21.7 |
| Terry Porter | 16 | 16 | 37.2 | .500 | .362 | .861 | 2.8 | 6.6 | 1.5 | .1 | 18.1 |
| Jerome Kersey | 16 | 16 | 36.8 | .465 | | .752 | 6.9 | 3.1 | 1.8 | .4 | 17.9 |
| Buck Williams | 16 | 16 | 35.8 | .500 | | .603 | 8.9 | .9 | .6 | .3 | 10.3 |
| Kevin Duckworth | 16 | 16 | 31.9 | .401 | | .732 | 6.7 | .9 | .5 | .5 | 11.7 |
| Clifford Robinson | 16 | 0 | 22.1 | .538 | .333 | .551 | 3.9 | 1.1 | .4 | 1.0 | 10.3 |
| Danny Ainge | 16 | 0 | 17.3 | .448 | .306 | .821 | 1.8 | 1.9 | .8 | .3 | 8.0 |
| Mark Bryant | 14 | 0 | 9.8 | .455 | | .875 | 2.3 | .1 | .1 | .1 | 2.4 |
| Walter Davis | 13 | 0 | 8.5 | .396 | .000 | .833 | 1.2 | .5 | .3 | .0 | 3.3 |
| Danny Young | 7 | 0 | 5.1 | .545 | .000 | | .0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 1.7 |
| Alaa Abdelnaby | 5 | 0 | 2.6 | .333 | | | .6 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .8 |
| Wayne Cooper | 3 | 0 | 4.3 | .500 | | | 1.7 | .3 | .0 | .0 | .7 |
* $^†$ Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Trail Blazers only.

## Awards and honors

* Clyde Drexler, NBA All-Star, All-NBA Second Team
* Buck Williams, NBA All-Defensive First Team
* Kevin Duckworth, NBA All-Star
* Terry Porter, NBA All-Star