February 28, 1978
PORTLAND — The Blazers worst defeat this season was a 22-point loss at Philadelphia in early December, prompting one Sixer to say at the time “We took no prisoners.” The Blazers took no prisoners themselves today with a 113-92 victory over the visiting 76ers. “We had picture book execution on some of our plays,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsay. “I was pleased with our whole performance.” The win, their sixth straight, clinches a playoff for the Blazers and moves Portland to 50-10 on the season. The only mishap was Bill Walton aggravating an injury to his left ankle when he rolled on it in the second quarter. Walton did not play in the second half and will not travel to New York to play the Knicks on March 2
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Philadelphia jumped to an early 8-1 lead in the opening moments but the Blazers went on a 15-0 run and got to a 30-15 lead after the first quarter. Philadelphia was able to close the gap at halftime to 57-45 but only because of some questionable foul calls against the Blazers. Of the 45 points Philadelphia had, 23 were from the foul line. All told, referees Darrell Garretson and Tommy Nunez whistled the teams for 69 fouls and five technical fouls. “I don’t want to talk about the officiating,” said Ramsay. “I don’t think the game was any rougher than other games.”
Philadelphia was able to cut the Blazers lead to eight early in third quarter but Lloyd Neal and Bob Gross scored successive baskets to give the Blazers some breathing room, closing out the third quarter at 83-67. Soon the Blazers rolled on to give Philadelphia their worst defeat this season. “This looked like a re-run of our game in Philly except the teams changed,” said Sixer coach Billy Cunningham. |
Lloyd Neal, subbing for Maurice Lucas, again led the Blazers with 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Bob Gross added 21 points and also grabbed 10 rebounds, impressing Walton who missed the second half with his injury. “I never really get a chance to see all the things he can do because we are usually in the game at the same time.
All the running he does is away from where I am and when I see him, he has lost his man and is wide open for a shot.” Lionel Hollins and Tom Owens each recorded 13 points. Bill Walton only played 13 minutes before his injury, scoring five points and five personal fouls. When asked about the injury, Walton replied”I don’t want to talk about it. Ask the doctor.” |
Ron Culp, the Blazers trainer said, “Bill’s right foot has been sore for sometime and he’s been compensating by putting more weight and pressure on his left leg.” Cup added, “He rolled on the ankle tonight but his in jury is an accumulation thing. He just needs some rest and he hasn’t been getting it because of other injuries. Whether he will play this weekend will depend on how his leg and ankle feels then.” The other injuries Culp refers to are Maurice Lucas, Larry Steele and Dave Twardzik. According to Culp, those players are at “about 50 percent or less efficiency” but should be able to play in New York on March 2.
February 26, 1978
CHICAGO — Once again, the Chicago Bulls were sure that they had victory secured but forgot about Lionel Hollins and his heroics. Just like the last time these teams met, when he hit a basket to secure a 92-90 Blazer win, Hollins hit a bank shot at the buzzer to give Portland a 100-99 win, breaking the hearts of the 18,751 at Chicago Stadium. “I wasn’t planning to bank the shot but I got bumped as I let the ball go,” said Hollins. “That changed the line a little but I figured if it hit the glass it had a chance.” The win is the 49th win of the season, tying the club record for wins set last season. The Blazers have five straight games and head home with a 4-0 road trip, the first time ever the team has done so, and will play Philadelphia on February 28 seeking a club record 50th win.
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The teams have played each other tough since last season’s opening playoff series and today was no different. Chicago was able to acquire a 27-21 first quarter lead but the Blazers had their advantage occasionally. Artis Gilmore was able to get close to the basket, twice stuffing the ball as Bill Walton tried to avoid foul trouble. Mickey Johnson, a former Blazer, kept the Bulls in control to end the half ahead 42-39. The third quarter brought foul issues to Portland as Walton and Lloyd Neal, starting in place of the injured Maurice Lucas, were forced to the bench requiring Tom Owens and Corky Calhoun to play most of the later part of the quarter which saw the Bulls maintain a lead at 68-67.
The Bulls, who drop to 31-32 on the season, now have lost nine of the last 11 games. “Our playoff hopes are slipping away,” said Bulls coach Ed Badger. Asked about Hollins, Badger added, “I don’t think we could have done anything else on that shot. Hollins has killed us with big shots at least four times in the last two seasons.” Hollins has with hit the winning shot or the go-ahead shot twice last season and now twice this year.
Lost in the game winning shot was Lloyd Neal scoring a career-high 35 points. “neal destroyed us with his shooting,” said Badger. Neal hit on 15 of 25 shots and also grabbed 15 rebounds as the starter for the second game in a row. “I’ve always shot a good percentage from the key area,” said Neal. “Today, Mickey backed off me a bit. I just put the ball up over him.” Neal has led the Blazers in scoring the last three games, averaging at a 26.6 clip. The other four starters all scored in double digits with Johnny Davis scoring 16 points with Hollins hitting for 15 points. Hollins also dished out eight assists for the Blazers. Bill Walton lost the battle against Gilmore statistically, getting only 14 points and 13 rebounds. Walton also recorded five assists before fouling out. Gross finished with 10 points.
The Blazers come home to play the Philadelphia 76ers on February 28 seeking their 50th win for the first time ever. Ramsay hopes to have Lucas and Twardzik back by then to get back saying, “Luke and Dave might be able to play by then. I don’t know when Larry will be available.” After playing Philadelphia, the Blazers will fly to New York to play the Knicks in a game that was originally scheduled for February 7 but was canceled due to a snow storm.
Highlights of the game can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8TZ2uFwRP0&t=81s
Lost in the game winning shot was Lloyd Neal scoring a career-high 35 points. “neal destroyed us with his shooting,” said Badger. Neal hit on 15 of 25 shots and also grabbed 15 rebounds as the starter for the second game in a row. “I’ve always shot a good percentage from the key area,” said Neal. “Today, Mickey backed off me a bit. I just put the ball up over him.” Neal has led the Blazers in scoring the last three games, averaging at a 26.6 clip. The other four starters all scored in double digits with Johnny Davis scoring 16 points with Hollins hitting for 15 points. Hollins also dished out eight assists for the Blazers. Bill Walton lost the battle against Gilmore statistically, getting only 14 points and 13 rebounds. Walton also recorded five assists before fouling out. Gross finished with 10 points.
The Blazers come home to play the Philadelphia 76ers on February 28 seeking their 50th win for the first time ever. Ramsay hopes to have Lucas and Twardzik back by then to get back saying, “Luke and Dave might be able to play by then. I don’t know when Larry will be available.” After playing Philadelphia, the Blazers will fly to New York to play the Knicks in a game that was originally scheduled for February 7 but was canceled due to a snow storm.
Highlights of the game can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8TZ2uFwRP0&t=81s
February 24, 1978
KANSAS CITY — The Kings were looking forward to pulling the upset this evening but were rebuffed by the streaking Blazers in a 107-96 victory led by spot-starter Lloyd Neal. “Lloyd has been playing great for us,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsay. “Whenever we need help, he seldom lets us down.” The win, the fourth straight for the Blazers, moves them to 3-0 on their current four-game road trip. Portland is 48-10 on the season. The Blazers move on to finish the road trip in Chicago on February 26, a game that will be televised by CBS. Currently the Blazers are 10 1/2 games ahead of Phoenix in the Pacific Division, their largest cushion of the season.
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The Kings entered the game winning eight of their last 10 games and had high hopes for an upset as the Blazers were missing Maurice Lucas and Larry Steele at the start of the game and lost Dave Twardzik early on with a twisted ankle. “It is sore but we got ice on it right away,” said Twardzik. “I just don’t know about Sunday (Chicago game) until at least tomorrow.” The Kings attacked the basket in the first few minutes but after three blocked shots by the Blazers in the first four minutes, the Kings seemed to pull back quickly and the Blazers raced to a 20-6 advantage after 10 minutes. “I think our defense had a lot to do with their poor shooting at the start,” said Bob Gross. The Kings made only 4 of 21 shots from the field on their way to a 24-13 first quarter deficit, their lowest scoring quarter of the year.
The Blazers continued to build on their lead, getting to a 17 point advantage at one point in the second quarter before settling to a 50-36 lead at halftime. “Give them credit,” said King forward Bill Robinzine. “They played fine defense and just outplayed us.” The Kings started the third quarter strong, sparked by guard Lucius Allen, as they pulled to within 66-60. Portland reversed the trend by going on a 12-4 run to end the quarter at 78-64. The Blazers continued to run in the fourth quarter, building to a 94-70 lead with 5:39 remaining before both teams turned to the bench.
Lucius Allen led the Kings with 16 points and passed for five assists. Ron Boone shot 3 for 14 from the field but ended with 12 points as did Tom Burleson. Bill Robizine had 11 points and 11 rebounds while Scott Wedmen and Bob Nash each had 10 points. The loss drops Kansas City to 24-37
For the second game in a row, Lloyd Neal again led the Blazers in scoring with 26 points this evening. Neal was informed of his starting slot this morning yet went out to hit on 11 of 17 from the field, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots. Lionel Hollins helped with 21 points while also getting five rebounds and five assists. Bill Walton hit 12 free throws on his way to 16 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks. Bob Gross had 12 points and Johnny Davis added 10 points.
The Blazers continued to build on their lead, getting to a 17 point advantage at one point in the second quarter before settling to a 50-36 lead at halftime. “Give them credit,” said King forward Bill Robinzine. “They played fine defense and just outplayed us.” The Kings started the third quarter strong, sparked by guard Lucius Allen, as they pulled to within 66-60. Portland reversed the trend by going on a 12-4 run to end the quarter at 78-64. The Blazers continued to run in the fourth quarter, building to a 94-70 lead with 5:39 remaining before both teams turned to the bench.
Lucius Allen led the Kings with 16 points and passed for five assists. Ron Boone shot 3 for 14 from the field but ended with 12 points as did Tom Burleson. Bill Robizine had 11 points and 11 rebounds while Scott Wedmen and Bob Nash each had 10 points. The loss drops Kansas City to 24-37
For the second game in a row, Lloyd Neal again led the Blazers in scoring with 26 points this evening. Neal was informed of his starting slot this morning yet went out to hit on 11 of 17 from the field, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots. Lionel Hollins helped with 21 points while also getting five rebounds and five assists. Bill Walton hit 12 free throws on his way to 16 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks. Bob Gross had 12 points and Johnny Davis added 10 points.
February 22, 1978
LANDOVER, MD. — The Blazers left San Antonio excited about their first win and arrived to Landover tired and lacking sleep, but the reserves came through when needed in the second half to drive the Blazers to a 105-97 victory over the Washington Bullets. “This was a big one for us,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsay. “We couldn’t have done it without our bench people.” The win gives the Blazers a 47-10 record for the season as they move on to Kansas City for their third game of a four-game road trip. |
Lloyd Neal led the Blazers with 19 points, 16 in the second half, and two blocked shots with Bob Gross a basket behind at 17 points. Maurice Lucas added 16 points despite only playing 19 minutes due to foul issues. Johnny Davis moved back to being a bench player today and responded with 14 points. Bill Walton finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists before fouling out with two minutes left.
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The game is also noted as TOPPS Basketball Card company took pictures of the Blazers at this game. Those cards are on the photo page of this site.
February 21, 1978
SAN ANTONIO — The Blazers entered San Antonio seeking their first ever win in the heart of Texas and left with a 118-114 overtime thriller on coach Jack Ramsay’s 53rd birthday. “I’ll take that present any time,” said Ramsay. “We played an excellent game it took that to win.” The Blazers were 0-3 all-time in San Antonio since the Spurs joined the NBA last season. The win moves Portland to 46-10 and is also their 17th road victory while dropping the Spurs to 35-22. The Spurs have a 5 1/2 game lead over the Washington Bullets who the Blazers will play tomorrow at Landover, Maryland.
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This game started differently for the Blazers compared to the first three times Portland had played here. The Blazers hit their first eight shots and hit 15 of 19 to end the quarter with a 33-20 lead. The only other time the Blazers had a lead after the first quarter in San Antonio was a two point lead in their first loss last season. The Blazers shooting cooled off some in the second quarter but they were still leading at the half at 60-48. The Spurs clamped down on the Blazers in the third quarter as they climbed back to within 85-80 as the teams entered the final quarter. The Spurs continued to attack and when George Gervin hit a jumper with 1:12 remaining in the fourth quarter, giving the Spurs a 102-100 lead, the crowd raised to their feet to cheer. After a Blazer timeout, Portland ran a play for Maurice Lucas who tied the game at 102-102 before the Spurs called their own timeout to run a final play. As expected, the Spurs ran a play for their All-Star George Gervin. Portland countered on defense with reserve Corky Calhoun who stayed with Gervin, forcing him to miss on a long jumper to end the game at 102-102.
Portland took command in the overtime as Lucas and Bill Walton each hit baskets to put the Blazers up 106-102. The Spurs were unable to get back to even as the Blazers maintained a four point advantage in the overtime until Lucas hit fast break layup pushing the lead to 116-110 lead with 31 seconds left in the overtime. “We got the offensive rebounds and layups in the overtime and that was the ball game,” said Lionel Hollins. The Spurs were led by center Billy Paultz who scored 22 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Larry Kenon, who played 49 of the possible 53 minutes, scored 20 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Gervin, who is second leading scorer in the NBA with a 27.5 scoring average, scored only 19 points on 8 for 23 shooting. “I don’t know whether you can ever stop Gervin, but we did a better job tonight,” said Ramsay. In addition, Gervin passed off for 11 assists as well. Louie Dampier added 16 points as a reserve while reserve Mike Green added 14 points and eight rebounds. |
Bill Walton led the Blazers with his typical outstanding game with 34 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and five blocked shots. Walton took a career high 31 shots admitted after the game “I may have forced a few. But I was making them early, so I felt I should keep taking them.” Maurice Lucas added 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Bob Gross and Johnny Davis each scored 19 points while the last starter Lionel Hollins added 14 points. No reserve except Tom Owens, with seven points, made a field goal though Calhoun hit a free throw. The other reserves -Dave Twardzik, Larry Steele and Lloyd Neal - were scoreless.
February 19, 1978
Blazers Skewer Hapless Pacers In 127-104 Rout
PORTLAND — After suffering their first home loss two days ago, whomever the Blazers faced was going to feel the wrath and the Indiana Pacers drew the lucky straw. The Blazers spotted the Pacers the first point but then blew away to a 127-104 victory. “A very good game for us,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsay. “We played good defense, had good ball movement and had excellent control on our fast break.” The win moves the Blazers to 45-10 overall before starting a four-game road trip starting on Feb 21 in San Antonio. |
The Pacers, after winning the opening jump, hit the first free throw before the Blazers took over, running to a 35-26 lead after the first quarter ended. The Pacers attempted to make a game of it when they closed to within 39-34 with eight minutes left in the second before Lionel Hollins scored four points and dished four assists in a 12-4 spurt, pushing the Blazers back in front 51-38. “It was a good game for us,” said Hollins who scored 14 points and passed for nine assists in the first half. The Blazers ended the half in a 65-48 lead and scored the first eight points in the third quarter to get to a 73-48 lead just two minutes into the second half. “They just beat the hell out of us,” said Pacer coach Bob Leonard. Entering the final quarter leading 97-72, the Blazers turned to the bench for the most part, once getting to a 29 point lead before settling for the 23 point win.
Seven of the 10 Blazers scored in double digits with Bill Walton leading the way with 26 points in 26 minutes as well as 17 rebounds and five blocked shots. “Bill is the greatest all-around pivotman ever to play the game,” said Leonard. Walton’s backup Tom Owens added 20 points to be the second leading scorer. Combined, Walton and Owens shot a combined for 46 points on 20-21 shooting and gathered 23 rebounds. “I once had a game like that,” said a smiling Walton. In the 1973 NCAA Championship, Walton hit 21 for 22 and scored 44 points in an 87-66 win over Memphis State. Hollins finished the game with 16 points and tied his career-high with 11 assists. “Lionel had an exceptional game,” said Ramsay. The Blazers as a team had a season high 42 assists and more than doubled the 20 assists that the Pacers had. Maurice Lucas and Johnny Davis each had 14 points with Lucas also grabbed 10 rebounds. Bob Gross had 12 points and six rebounds while Lloyd Neal had 10 points and eight rebounds.
February 17, 1978
DENVER — Facing the team that broke their 44-game winning streak just three days before, the Blazers came out quick to punish the Nuggets and did so for most of the game before finally falling 112-105. “That’s the finest performance I’ve ever been associated with,” said Denver coach Larry Brown. “I just wish this was the playoffs and we had them down 3-0.” The Blazers have lost all three games they have played against the Nuggets this season and the loss is the tenth of the season for Portland. The Blazers return home to play Indiana on Feb 19 before embarking on a four game-six day road trip.
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The Blazers jumped all over the Nuggets in the opening six minutes, bolting to a 22-4 lead. The Blazers played tough defense forcing three Nugget turnovers and dominated the backboards and ran to a 30-18 lead after the first quarter. Soon though the Nuggets charged back as they closed the lead to 30-29 three minutes into the second quarter. “After that good start, we dfidn’t seem to have it,” said Bob Gross. The Nuggets would occasionally tie the score the rest of the quarter but could never get the lead away from the Blazers and the half ended 53-53. The Nuggets got their first lead three minutes into the third quarter at 61-59 but the teams continued to go back and forth we eight ties in the final 15 minutes.
Entering the final quarter behind 82-77, the Nuggets hit five straight points to gain a 10-point lead at 87-77. Portland hit for a 14-4 run of their own before Ralph Simpson hit a jumper with 7:56 to break a 91-91 to put Denver ahead for good at 93-91. Gross did his best to keep Portland in the game scoring six points over the next five minutes but Denver still had a 100-97 lead before two Blazer turnovers and a Nugget basket changed the score to 102-97. The Blazers closed to 104-101 but again were unable to capitalize as Lionel Hollins missed a jumper and Maurice Lucas missed the put back attempt before Denver scored to make it 106-101. Bill Walton hit two free throws to cut the deficit to 106-103 with under a minute left. The Blazers soon stole the ball but again turned the ball over when Gross missed a baseline shot. David Thompson iced the game for the Nuggets as he hit four throws over the last 30 seconds.
The Nuggets had an extremely balanced attack as seven of nine players hit for double digit scoring, led by Thompson’s 30 points. Thompson, who was 16 of 16 from the free throw line, also grabbed seven rebounds. Dan Issel scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds. Darnell Hillman scored 14 points and led the Nuggets with nine rebounds while Bobby Wilkerson was a point and rebound behind Hillman with 13 points and eight rebounds while also passing for nine assists. Bobby Jones added 11 rebounds with Anthony Roberts and Ralph Simpson each ended with 10 points. Jones and Roberts each added seven rebounds.
Maurice Lucas led the Blazers with 31 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Bob Gross added 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds despite playing most of the final quarter with five personal fouls. Lionel Hollins struggled from the field, shooting 4 of 20 but ended with 17 points as he hit 9 of 12 from the free throw line and passed for seven assists. Bill Walton had 10 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, passed for eight assists and blocked four shots.
Entering the final quarter behind 82-77, the Nuggets hit five straight points to gain a 10-point lead at 87-77. Portland hit for a 14-4 run of their own before Ralph Simpson hit a jumper with 7:56 to break a 91-91 to put Denver ahead for good at 93-91. Gross did his best to keep Portland in the game scoring six points over the next five minutes but Denver still had a 100-97 lead before two Blazer turnovers and a Nugget basket changed the score to 102-97. The Blazers closed to 104-101 but again were unable to capitalize as Lionel Hollins missed a jumper and Maurice Lucas missed the put back attempt before Denver scored to make it 106-101. Bill Walton hit two free throws to cut the deficit to 106-103 with under a minute left. The Blazers soon stole the ball but again turned the ball over when Gross missed a baseline shot. David Thompson iced the game for the Nuggets as he hit four throws over the last 30 seconds.
The Nuggets had an extremely balanced attack as seven of nine players hit for double digit scoring, led by Thompson’s 30 points. Thompson, who was 16 of 16 from the free throw line, also grabbed seven rebounds. Dan Issel scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds. Darnell Hillman scored 14 points and led the Nuggets with nine rebounds while Bobby Wilkerson was a point and rebound behind Hillman with 13 points and eight rebounds while also passing for nine assists. Bobby Jones added 11 rebounds with Anthony Roberts and Ralph Simpson each ended with 10 points. Jones and Roberts each added seven rebounds.
Maurice Lucas led the Blazers with 31 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Bob Gross added 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds despite playing most of the final quarter with five personal fouls. Lionel Hollins struggled from the field, shooting 4 of 20 but ended with 17 points as he hit 9 of 12 from the free throw line and passed for seven assists. Bill Walton had 10 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, passed for eight assists and blocked four shots.
February 15, 1978
PORTLAND — There have been times this season where the Blazers have just gone through the motions and came at the end with a victory and today was one. The Blazers were able to pull out a 102-99 win over the visiting Atlanta Hawks despite not having any real enthusiasm compared to the last two games. “We had a flatness because of our tough game last night and because of last time we beat them at Atlanta by 40 points,” said Blazer assistant coach Jack McKinney. “It was hard for our players not to go into the game thinking they were going to win.” The win gives the Blazers a 44-9 record for the season and moves them to eight games over the idle Suns in the Pacific Division.
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For the second game in a row, the Blazers scored the first basket and never trailed but also could never get any true runs to put the Hawks away. After getting to a 10 point lead midway through the first quarter, the Hawks were able to close to 25-19 after the first 12 minutes and stayed within striking distance for the rest of the half which ended with the Blazers up 48-41. John Drew, the Atlanta All-Star, continued to make field goals from all angles to keep the Hawks close, moving to within 56-53 with 7:31 remaining in the third quarter. The Blazers quickly moved back to a 10 point lead before ending the third quarter with a 74-67 lead and weren’t threatened after that. Starting the final quarter with a lineup of substitutes, the Blazers pushed their lead to 15 points twice giving the starters a chance to rest. The Hawks made a final run, getting to 100-97 with eight-seconds left, forcing Ramsay to bring Bill Walton and Lionel Hollins back in for defensive purposes to close out the game.
The Hawks were called for a zone with Portland leading 91-82 with 4:00 minutes remaining, prompting Hawk coach Hubie Brown to complain. Referee Richie Powers called a technical foul on Brown who continued to argue the call. “We have played 55 games this season and that’s the first time it has been called against us.” After the game, Brown continued to talk of the zone call citing that the rule states “You have to be six-eight feet within a man, and if that’s the rule, who was Bill Walton guarding?”
Drew led all scorers with 32 points, hitting eight of nine free throws and grabbing nine rebounds, seven of which were on the offensive end. “He really is good at following his own shots,” said Maurice Lucas. Former Blazer Steve Hawes scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds before fouling out. Eddie Johnson added 14 points while Tom McMillen scored 10 points. Another former Blazer, Ollie Johnson, came off the bench to add six points. Johnson played for the Blazers from 1972-1974.
Johnny Davis led the Blazers with 19 points impressing coach Ramsay. “Davis has been putting some good games together. He has been going to the basket extremely well.” Bill Walton was right behind with 18 points. Walton also grabbed 12 rebounds, passed for eight assists and blocked seven shots. Bob Gross tipped in with 15 points while Lloyd Neal scored 14 points off the bench. Tom Owens scored 11 points and pulled down nine rebounds in his reserve role.
The Hawks were called for a zone with Portland leading 91-82 with 4:00 minutes remaining, prompting Hawk coach Hubie Brown to complain. Referee Richie Powers called a technical foul on Brown who continued to argue the call. “We have played 55 games this season and that’s the first time it has been called against us.” After the game, Brown continued to talk of the zone call citing that the rule states “You have to be six-eight feet within a man, and if that’s the rule, who was Bill Walton guarding?”
Drew led all scorers with 32 points, hitting eight of nine free throws and grabbing nine rebounds, seven of which were on the offensive end. “He really is good at following his own shots,” said Maurice Lucas. Former Blazer Steve Hawes scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds before fouling out. Eddie Johnson added 14 points while Tom McMillen scored 10 points. Another former Blazer, Ollie Johnson, came off the bench to add six points. Johnson played for the Blazers from 1972-1974.
Johnny Davis led the Blazers with 19 points impressing coach Ramsay. “Davis has been putting some good games together. He has been going to the basket extremely well.” Bill Walton was right behind with 18 points. Walton also grabbed 12 rebounds, passed for eight assists and blocked seven shots. Bob Gross tipped in with 15 points while Lloyd Neal scored 14 points off the bench. Tom Owens scored 11 points and pulled down nine rebounds in his reserve role.
February 14, 1978
PORTLAND — To quote the old adage, when you fall off the horse, you get back on. After suffering their first home loss this season two days ago, the Blazers climbed back on top with a 113-100 victory over Pacific Division rival Phoenix Suns. “A good performance by us,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsay. “We had a few dry spells but overall, I was pleased.” The win moves the Blazers to 43-9 for the season but also moves the Blazers to 10-0 against their Pacific Division rivals. The Suns, who are 36-17 for the season, are 7 1/2 games behind Portland, would be leading two of the other three NBA divisions by at least 2 games and would be 1/2 game behind in the other.
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The Blazers took the early 2-0 lead and never relinquished though Phoenix kept making a game of it with the help of rookie Walter Davis. The Blazers jumped to a 35-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Blazers worked their lead to 18 points at one point but Davis, who scored 21 points, triggered a rally to close the Blazers halftime lead to 61-55. Maurice Lucas commented afterwards, “I was impressed with Phoenix, but I’m doubly impressed with Walter Davis.” Despite being hounded by Bob Gross, Larry Steele and Corky Calhoun, Davis was able to break loose enough to keep the Suns in the game. Opening the third quarter, Davis was fouled on his way to the basket creating a three-point play and assisted to Paul Westphal to cut the lead to 61-60. Portland countered with a 15-2 burst to get to a 76-62 lead. The Blazers pushed the lead to 94-73 late in the third quarter before Phoenix went on a 22-7 run of their own to get within 101-95 with under five minutes left but the Blazers defense shut down the Suns for the final three minutes and the good guys scored the last six points for the win.
Davis led all scorers with 39 points, a point shy of his career high set last month. Davis hit 16 of 27 from the field and passed for five assists. “He does all the things that a good offensive player should do,” said Calhoun. Ramsay believes, “He is the best of the rookie crop. I think he is the player most responsible for Phoenix’s turnaround from last season.” Paul Westphal, who played in the backcourt with Lionel Hollins at the recent NBA All-Star game, finished with 19 points. Ron Lee and Mike Bratz were the only other Suns with double digit scoring with 12 and 10 points respectively. Garfield Heard gathered 11 rebounds for Phoenix and blocked four shots. Suns coach John MacLeod was upbeat despite the loss, noting that, “I think our players still are confidant that we can beat Portland. We have had three close games with them.” |
Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas provided a double whammy against the Suns, scoring 22 and 21 points respectively. Lucas led the Blazers with 16 rebounds while Walton had 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. Lionel Hollins scored 17 points and passed for nine assists for the second game in a row. Johnny Davis complimented Hollins in the backcourt with 15 points and four assists. “Johnny has done a great job of filling in while Dave Twardzik hasn’t been able to play,” said Ramsay. Twardzik has been ill and suffered a bruised tailbone at Indiana. Bob Gross added 12 points for the Blazers who play the Atlanta Hawks tomorrow.
February 12, 1978
PORTLAND — For the first time since last March 4, the home crowd of 12,666 left a Blazer game suffering a loss. Over a stretch of 44 games, 10 during the playoffs, each opponent left with a loss until the Denver Nuggets came into the Memorial Coliseum and left with a 103-101 victory over the Blazers today. “I told the players after the game that Denver played better than us,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsay. “We usually win at home because we play better than the opponent, not just because the game is here. Denver played better today.” Nugget coach Larry Brown was just as happy with his team. “It’s a thrill. That was my favorite team that we beat today.” The Blazers last loss at home was a 113-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 4, 1977
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The NBA record, which does not include playoff games, is 36 games set by the 1966/67 Philadelphia 76ers. Not counting the playoff games, the Blazers won 34 straight.
The Nuggets, leading the Midwest Division yet riding a two-game losing streak, entered the nationally televised CBS game today with a 33-20 record and jumped out quick against the home team, securing a 26-22 lead after the first quarter. Portland was able to cut the four point deficit in half to trail 49-47 at the half. The third quarter saw the Blazers recover and come out strong, getting to a 10 point lead at 74-64 as Lionel Hollins scored 10 points in the quarter. The Nuggets defense tightened and rookie Anthony Roberts hit two long bombs and assisted on another basket and soon the Nuggets were only behind 78-77 entering the final stanza. “We turned the ball over three or four times and you can’t do that,” said Ramsay, regarding losing the 10 point lead.
The teams traded baskets over the first few minutes of the fourth quarter before Portland jumped to an 88-81 lead. The Nuggets then reeled off a 7-0 run capped by Roberts hitting on a three point play to tie the game at 88-88. After a Blazer turnover, David Thompson put Denver up 90-88 before Portland hit two baskets to get to a 92-90 lead. Denver hit three free throws to get to 93-92 lead with 3:16 left and, despite Portland attempting to regain the lead on three occasions, stayed in front the rest of the way. Lionel Hollins missed an open jumper that would have regained the lead and soon after Bob Gross threw a bad pass on a fast break. “I made a bad play,” Gross said later. With the Nuggets leading 99-98 and under a minute to play, Denver ran a play for Thompson which he connected on to give the Nuggets a 101-98 lead with 19 seconds left.
The Nuggets, leading the Midwest Division yet riding a two-game losing streak, entered the nationally televised CBS game today with a 33-20 record and jumped out quick against the home team, securing a 26-22 lead after the first quarter. Portland was able to cut the four point deficit in half to trail 49-47 at the half. The third quarter saw the Blazers recover and come out strong, getting to a 10 point lead at 74-64 as Lionel Hollins scored 10 points in the quarter. The Nuggets defense tightened and rookie Anthony Roberts hit two long bombs and assisted on another basket and soon the Nuggets were only behind 78-77 entering the final stanza. “We turned the ball over three or four times and you can’t do that,” said Ramsay, regarding losing the 10 point lead.
The teams traded baskets over the first few minutes of the fourth quarter before Portland jumped to an 88-81 lead. The Nuggets then reeled off a 7-0 run capped by Roberts hitting on a three point play to tie the game at 88-88. After a Blazer turnover, David Thompson put Denver up 90-88 before Portland hit two baskets to get to a 92-90 lead. Denver hit three free throws to get to 93-92 lead with 3:16 left and, despite Portland attempting to regain the lead on three occasions, stayed in front the rest of the way. Lionel Hollins missed an open jumper that would have regained the lead and soon after Bob Gross threw a bad pass on a fast break. “I made a bad play,” Gross said later. With the Nuggets leading 99-98 and under a minute to play, Denver ran a play for Thompson which he connected on to give the Nuggets a 101-98 lead with 19 seconds left.
Over the next 13 seconds Gross missed a short jumper, Bill Walton missed the tip-in and Gross missed another tip-in before Lloyd Neal was fouled with six-seconds left. As the Nuggets were in the penalty, Neal had three chances to make two free throws. Coming into the game, Neal had connected on 21 straight free throw attempts and had already made one earlier in the game. After making the first attempt, Neal missed the next two shots and when Bobby Jones came up with the rebound, the game was essentially over. After the buzzer sounded he Portland fans sat in silence for a few seconds before finally saluting the home team with a standing ovation as they filed to the locker room. Thompson led the Nuggets with 22 points despite shooting 9-22 from the field. Thompson also recorded five steals. Bobby Wilkerson added 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Anthony Roberts and Bobby Jones each scored 13 points with Jones leading the Nuggets with 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. Mack Calvin, who connected on all eight free throw attempts, scored 12 points and dished for six assists. Bill Walton led all scorers with 24 points, only missing five of his 16 attempts, and garnered 14 rebounds. Bob Gross, Lionel Hollins and Lloyd Neal each scored 14 points. Gross also added four rebounds and five assists before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Neal pulled down nine rebounds in 21 minutes of bench play. Hollins struggled from the field, missing on 15 of his 21 attempts but dished for nine assist. |
To a man, the Blazers all were upset with the streak being broken but also realized what the team did wrong. “We just didn’t make the shots at the end,” said Gross. “They played better than us at the end.” Lionel Hollins added “Denver didn’t do anything to surprise us. We just didn’t play well, period.” Lloyd Neal noted the team shooting 11 of 20 saying, “It’s right there. I shot it bad.” Even Ramsay noted that “Denver played its normal game and we didn’t”. The Blazers look to start a new streak in two days against the Phoenix Suns followed by the Atlanta Hawks a day later. The Blazers will then play the Nuggets in Denver on Feb. 17.
February 10, 1978
INDIANAPOLIS — The Blazers may have won their seventh straight game this evening, 112-108, but Portland seems to make the Pacers look just as good as the defending champs despite their ninth straight loss. “Against us, they always look like a good team,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsay. The Blazers, 42-8 overall, are 2-1 against the Pacers this season but have been out-scored by Indiana by a single point in the three games. “Some teams just play tough against tough opponents,” said Lionel Hollins. The Blazers come home to play the Denver Nuggets on Feb 12 against the Denver Nuggets. The Blazers have won 44 straight games, 34 regular season games and 10 playoff games. The NBA record is 36 straight regular season games set by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1966/67 season.
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Continuing to play to the opponent’s level that the Blazers have done the past last few games, the teams played to a 32-32 tie after the first quarter before Indiana pulled ahead 56-52 at halftime. The Pacers continued to lead going into the final quarter 88-86 with the Pacers answering every Blazer basket. With just under seven minutes remaining and down 98-93, the Blazers finally made their move to erase the deficit. Lloyd Neal came off the bench to score 12 points in the final quarter, twice getting a basket and then a free throw off an offensive rebound to keep the game close. With the score tied at 106-106, Bill Walton hit two free throws with 1:10 left to move Portland ahead by a basket before Neal added two more to push the Blazers to a 110-106 lead with 33 seconds remaining. Ron Behagen added the final two points for the Pacers while Lionel Hollins added the Blazers final points for Portland just before the buzzer ended the game.
Ricky Sobers and Ron Behagen each scored 20 points for the Pacers with Sobers also passing for 12 assists and grabbing eight rebounds. Behagen led the team with 11 rebounds. James Edwards scored 19 points while grabbing eight rebounds. Earl Tatum scored 18 points while Mike Bantom had 15 points before fouling out. The loss is the ninth straight for Indiana and the thirteenth of fourteen. The Pacers are 19-34 for the season
Lionel Hollins led the Blazers with 24 points and dished out six assists while Maurice Lucas and Bill Walton each added 20 points and each grabbed 11 rebounds. Lloyd Neal came off bench to finish with 18 points in 21 minutes of action. “Lloyd had a great game,” said Ramsay. Johnny Davis and Bob Gross each finished with 10 points with Gross grabbing six rebounds and passed for eight assists.
Ricky Sobers and Ron Behagen each scored 20 points for the Pacers with Sobers also passing for 12 assists and grabbing eight rebounds. Behagen led the team with 11 rebounds. James Edwards scored 19 points while grabbing eight rebounds. Earl Tatum scored 18 points while Mike Bantom had 15 points before fouling out. The loss is the ninth straight for Indiana and the thirteenth of fourteen. The Pacers are 19-34 for the season
Lionel Hollins led the Blazers with 24 points and dished out six assists while Maurice Lucas and Bill Walton each added 20 points and each grabbed 11 rebounds. Lloyd Neal came off bench to finish with 18 points in 21 minutes of action. “Lloyd had a great game,” said Ramsay. Johnny Davis and Bob Gross each finished with 10 points with Gross grabbing six rebounds and passed for eight assists.
February 9, 1978
CLEVELAND — The rustiness of six days off, and lack of heat in the Cleveland Coliseum, showed for most of the first half for the Blazers before Maurice Lucas led the Blazers to a 94-88 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. “That was Luke’s best offensive game of the year,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsay, adding as well, “and he was great on defense too.” The win, two days after their scheduled game in New York, gives the Blazers a 41-8 record overall and their 15th road victory, breaking the club record of 14 set last season. The Blazers travel to Indianapolis to face the Pacer tomorrow.
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Cleveland was led by Austin Carr, with 19 points on 8-13 shooting with Furlow scoring 16 points in 17 minutes. Elmore Smith had 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. While each team hit 36 field goals in the game, the Cavaliers attempted 12 more shots, ending the game with a .413 shooting percentage. The Blazers out-rebounded the Cavaliers 51-34, had 10 more assists (28-18) though the Cavs only had 10 turnovers to the Blazers 23.
Maurice Lucas led all scorers with 35 points, hitting 13 of 20 from the field and 9 of 11 from the free throw line. Lucas also grabbed 14 rebounds. Bob Gross hit for 18 points, missing only three shots from the field.When asked by a Cleveland writer if he was surprised with the play of Gross, Ramsay replied, “He does it every game.” The only other Blazer to record 10 points was Larry Steele. Bill Walton grabbed 13 rebounds but only scored eight points on 4 for 15 shooting from the field. “They didn’t do anything special against me,” said Walton. “I had good shots. I just missed them.”
Maurice Lucas led all scorers with 35 points, hitting 13 of 20 from the field and 9 of 11 from the free throw line. Lucas also grabbed 14 rebounds. Bob Gross hit for 18 points, missing only three shots from the field.When asked by a Cleveland writer if he was surprised with the play of Gross, Ramsay replied, “He does it every game.” The only other Blazer to record 10 points was Larry Steele. Bill Walton grabbed 13 rebounds but only scored eight points on 4 for 15 shooting from the field. “They didn’t do anything special against me,” said Walton. “I had good shots. I just missed them.”
February 7, 1978 - Game vs New York Knicks canceled
The NBA canceled the Blazers v Knicks game with no date as yet to be made up at this time.
We do know that the game will be made up on March 2nd when the Blazers enter New York with a 50-10 record.
The rest as they say is history
We do know that the game will be made up on March 2nd when the Blazers enter New York with a 50-10 record.
The rest as they say is history
February 5, 1978
February 3, 1978
PORTLAND — To close out the first half of the season, the Blazers overcame having two players out due to injuries, one player initially sidelined to provide rest and another player ejected before pulling out another 20 point victory, this time a 112-92 win over the Golden State Warriors. “It was a great win under the conditions we faced,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsay. The win, the Blazers fifth straight and 44th consecutive home win, brings their record to 40-8 before the three-day All-Star break. “It is great to be in this division at this time,” said Ramsay. “Some teams have 40 wins as their goal for the entire season.”
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The Blazers jumped to a quick 8-0 lead, pushing to an 18-6 before the officials called some quick fouls on the home team causing frustration to rise and allowed Golden State to close to 29-25 after the first quarter ended. One minute and 43 seconds into the second quarter, referee Dick Bavetta blew his whistle when Maurice Lucas and Warrior Charles Dudley wrestled for a loose ball, with obvious contact. Lucas was called for the foul which caused the Blazer forward to shout an obscenity at Bavetta, garnering his first technical foul. After protesting further, Lucas was tossed and had to be restrained from going after the officials before retiring to the locker room. The Warriors were able to the game three times in the quarter, the last time at 42-42, before the Blazers took a 54-50 halftime lead. “Luke kind of blew his cool and then after that the team lost some of its poise,” said Ramsay.
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Nate Williams came off the bench to lead the Warriors with 19 points in 28 minutes while Robert Parrish had 17 points and nine rebounds before fouling out. E.C. Coleman and Phil Smith each finished with 14 points with Coleman grabbing seven rebounds. Smith made all 12 free throws he attempted, which is half of the Warriors free throw connections. Rickey Green was the last player with double digit scoring with 10 points. Rick Barry had six points this evening, the third time this season he has been under 10 points. The future Hall-of-Fame player who once scored 64 points against the Blazers, has totaled 29 points in three games against Portland this season including a career-low two points in the last meeting between these teams.
Six Blazers scored in double digits with Lionel Hollins leading all scorers with 26 points. Bob Gross and Bill Walton each scored 16 points with Gross grabbing six rebounds. Walton scored his fifth-career triple double as he also totaled 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Johnny Davis scored 14 points while Lloyd Neal came off the bench for 13 points, three rebounds and a blocked shot in 16 minutes. Corky Calhoun totaled 10 points and eight rebounds. Maurice Lucas totaled eight points before being ejected.
Six Blazers scored in double digits with Lionel Hollins leading all scorers with 26 points. Bob Gross and Bill Walton each scored 16 points with Gross grabbing six rebounds. Walton scored his fifth-career triple double as he also totaled 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Johnny Davis scored 14 points while Lloyd Neal came off the bench for 13 points, three rebounds and a blocked shot in 16 minutes. Corky Calhoun totaled 10 points and eight rebounds. Maurice Lucas totaled eight points before being ejected.