# 1982–83 Portland Trail Blazers season

The 1982–83 Portland Trail Blazers season was the 13th season of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Blazers finished 46–36, a four-game improvement from the previous season.
In the 1983 NBA Playoffs, the Blazers won their first playoff series since their championship season of 1976–77, defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in their first-round best-of-three series in a two-game sweep and gaining a measure of revenge for the Sonics' having eliminated them from the postseason in 1978 and 1980.
However, the Blazers were bested in their Western Conference semi-final series against the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one, on the Lakers' way to the 1983 NBA Finals.
The 1982–83 NBA season saw the beginning of an unprecedented playoff streak for the Blazers, as they would go on to qualify for 21 consecutive postseasons. The second longest NBA playoff streak behind the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers who made the playoffs every year from 1950 to 1971, and the San Antonio Spurs who made the playoffs every year from 1998 to 2019.

## Draft picks

Note: This is not a complete list; only the first two rounds are covered, as well as any other picks by the franchise who played at least one NBA game.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
| 1 | 11 | Lafayette Lever | G | United States | Arizona State |

## Regular season
### Season standings

| Pacific Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Los Angeles Lakers | 58 | 24 | .707 | – | 33–8 | 25–16 | 21–9 |
| x-Phoenix Suns | 53 | 29 | .646 | 5 | 32–9 | 21–20 | 21–9 |
| x-Seattle SuperSonics | 48 | 34 | .585 | 10 | 29–12 | 19–22 | 14–16 |
| x-Portland Trail Blazers | 46 | 36 | .561 | 12 | 31–10 | 15–26 | 16–14 |
| Golden State Warriors | 30 | 52 | .366 | 28 | 21–20 | 9–32 | 11–19 |
| San Diego Clippers | 25 | 57 | .305 | 33 | 18–23 | 7–34 | 7–23 |
| # | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | c-Los Angeles Lakers | 58 | 24 | .707 | – |
| 2 | y-San Antonio Spurs | 53 | 29 | .646 | 5 |
| 3 | x-Phoenix Suns | 53 | 29 | .646 | 5 |
| 4 | x-Seattle SuperSonics | 48 | 34 | .585 | 10 |
| 5 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 46 | 36 | .561 | 12 |
| 6 | x-Denver Nuggets | 45 | 37 | .549 | 13 |
| 7 | Kansas City Kings | 45 | 37 | .549 | 13 |
| 8 | Dallas Mavericks | 38 | 44 | .463 | 20 |
| 9 | Utah Jazz | 30 | 52 | .366 | 28 |
| 9 | Golden State Warriors | 30 | 52 | .366 | 28 |
| 11 | San Diego Clippers | 25 | 57 | .305 | 33 |
| 12 | Houston Rockets | 14 | 68 | .171 | 44 |
    z - clinched division title
    y - clinched division title
    x - clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1982-83 NBA Records :
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | KCK | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAS | SDC | SEA | UTA | WAS |
| Atlanta | – | 1–5 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
| Boston | 5–1 | – | 3–2 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 |
| Chicago | 1–5 | 2–3 | – | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–5 |
| Cleveland | 0–6 | 1–5 | 1–5 | – | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–6 | 1–5 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 |
| Dallas | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | – | 3–3 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 5–0 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 0–2 |
| Denver | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | – | 2–0 | 4–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 |
| Detroit | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | – | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–2 |
| Golden State | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 0–2 | – | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 2–0 |
| Houston | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 2–3 | – | 2–0 | 1–5 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 0–5 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 0–6 | 1–1 |
| Indiana | 0–6 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | – | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–5 |
| Kansas City | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | – | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 4–2 | 2–0 |
| Los Angeles | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | – | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 |
| Milwaukee | 4–1 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | – | 3–2 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 |
| New Jersey | 4–2 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | – | 4–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 |
| New York | 2–3 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | – | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| Philadelphia | 4–2 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 5–1 | – | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
| Phoenix | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | – | 5–1 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 5–0 | 0–2 |
| Portland | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–5 | – | 2–3 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| San Antonio | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | – | 4–1 | 1–4 | 5–1 | 2–0 |
| San Diego | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–4 | – | 0–6 | 2–3 | 0–2 |
| Seattle | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 6–0 | – | 5–0 | 1–1 |
| Utah | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 6–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 2–3 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 0–5 | – | 0–2 |
| Washington | 2–4 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — |

### Game log
## Playoffs

1983 playoff game log :
First round: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 20
@ Seattle
W 108–97
Thompson, Paxson (25)
Calvin Natt (11)
Mychal Thompson (8)
Kingdome 9,211
1–0
2
April 22
Seattle
W 105–96
Jim Paxson (26)
Mychal Thompson (12)
Thompson, Lever (6)
Memorial Coliseum 12,666
2–0 :
Conference Semi-finals: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 24
@ Los Angeles
L 97–118
Mychal Thompson (22)
Thompson, Natt (9)
three players tied (7)
The Forum 13,891
0–1
2
April 26
@ Los Angeles
L 106–112
Calvin Natt (26)
Wayne Cooper (7)
Darnell Valentine (15)
The Forum 16,239
0–2
3
April 29
Los Angeles
L 109–115 (OT)
Paxson, Natt (22)
Natt, Cooper (10)
Darnell Valentine (14)
Memorial Coliseum 12,666
0–3
4
May 1
Los Angeles
W 108–95
Jim Paxson (20)
Calvin Natt (10)
Darnell Valentine (11)
Memorial Coliseum 12,666
1–3
5
May 3
@ Los Angeles
L 108–116
Jim Paxson (32)
Calvin Natt (11)
Darnell Valentine (8)
The Forum 16,739
1–4 :
1983 schedule :

## Player statistics
### Season

| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |

### Playoffs

| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |

## Awards and honors

* Jim Paxson, NBA All-Star