February 2
February 4
PORTLAND - The two top rookie guards met for the third time and Geoff Petrie finally came out on top in the personal matchup, outscoring Pete Maravich 24 to 13, but more importantly the Blazers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 137-123. Entering their third matchup, Maravich had outscored Petrie 51 to 35 as the teams split the first two games.
LeRoy Ellis led the Blazers with 27 points and 17 rebounds. Gary Gregor added 25 points and 8 rebounds before Petrie's 24 points and 7 assists. Rick Adelman passed for a team record 13 assists, the fourth time a Blazer passed for 10 assists or more during the first season. Adelman, who would set the team record of 17 assists in the 1971/72 season, that would hold until 1987 when Terry Porter passed for 18.
February 5
February 7
PORTLAND - The Portland Trail Blazers score their 4th straight victory, a 112-103 decision against the Cleveland Cavaliers the first time the Blazers have a 4-game win streak. Geoff Petrie led Portland with 24 points and 10 assists. Shaler Halimon had 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. The Blazers forward Gary Gregor was ejected early in the 3rd quarter for taking a swing at the Cavs Dave Sorenson, a retaliation that referee Mendy Rudolph rendered a reason for the showers. Gregor finished with 19 points and 8 rebounds in 23 minutes of action
February 9
George Pasero has a column about the Blazers looking to the 1971 NBA draft, which include players such as Jim McDaniels of Western Kentucky and Ken Durrett of La Salle University, pictured below. Others mentioned on Stu Inman's Top-4 list are Elmore Smith of Kentucky State and Sidney Wicks of UCLA. Artis Gilmore of Jacksonville are rumored to have been signed to the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association
February 12
PORTLAND - The @trailblazers standout rookie @GeoffPetrie scored a career-high 43 points in the Blazers 137-125 victory over the #Seattle #SuperSonics. It is the third time Petrie has topped 40 in this season.
Gary Gregor scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Jim Barnett added 21 points. |
February 16
The Blazers put their 5-game winning streak on the line with a "home" game against the Cincinnati Royals in Eugene, Oregon in the second game of a double-header with the famous Harlem Globetrotters playing in the preliminary contest. It is the only time in Blazers history that the Globetrotters played a game before Portland but it is not a first for the famed troupe. Although known more for their antics, the Globetrotters played straight-up basketball games when the team was formed in 1929 as a way for African-Americans to play during a segregated era.
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Prior to the formation of the NBA, the Trotters would travel and play college teams, semi-pro teams and other teams from professional leagues. In 1939, they lost a National Championship series to another all-black team, the New York Renaissance. In 1940 they defeated the Chicago Bruins to capture the prestigious World Professional Basketball Tournament. In 1948, the Globetrotters shocked the basketball world by defeating the Minneapolis Lakers, champions of the National Basketball League, the precursor to the National Basketball Association (NBA). The following year, they proved it was no fluke by beating the Lakers again.
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The victories over the Lakers demonstrated the talent of African American basketball players at a time when the NBA, unlike professional baseball and football, had yet to integrate. That changed in May 1950 when the Globetrotters’ Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton (below left) became the first African American player to sign a contract with an NBA team by inking a deal with the New York Knicks. Earl Lloyd and Chuck Cooper (center left and right respectively) who also broke the color barrier in 1950, had also played briefly with the Globetrotters.
One of the greatest basketball players of all-time, the 7' 1" Wilt Chamberlain signed a one-year contract with the Globetrotters reported to be worth $50,000 after leaving the University of Kansas in 1958 following his junior year. Chamberlain, above right, often said the year he spent with the Globetrotters was the most enjoyable of his career. He joined the team on an historic 1959 tour of the Soviet Union during which he shook hands with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. He was the first Harlem Globetrotter to have his number retired.
EUGENE, OR. - The Blazers fall for the first time in 6 games as the Cincinnati Royals top the Blazers 109-102 despite 31 points from Geoff Petrie. Jim Barnett, who played at the University of Oregon, scored 18 points and grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds. Barnett had a career-high 42 points on this same court last year as a member of the San Diego Rockets. LeRoy Ellis scored 13 points and grabbed 16 rebounds while Rick Adelman passed for 8 assists and scored 18 points. Tom Van Arsdale led the Royals with 29 points. Norm Van Lier was an assist shy of a triple-double as he scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and passed for 9 assists. The Royals rookie center Sam Lacey led the Royals with 21 rebounds and added 19 points. The rebound total still stands as a club record against the Blazers. The Royals are currently the Sacramento Kings after a stop in Kansas City. |
February 17
SEATTLE - Despite the absence of Spencer Haywood, the Seattle Super Sonics were able to hold off the Blazers 130-126. Dick Snyder led the Sonics with 25 points and 10 assists but the major disappoint for Portland was being out-rebounded 71 to 39. Pete Cross with 19 and Tom Meschery with 12 led the Sonics while holding the Blazers big rebounders of LeRoy Ellis, Ed Manning, Gary Gregor to a total of 9 boards. Only Dale Schlueter showed some board sense with 13.
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February 18
PORTLAND - The Los Angeles Lakers completed a sweep of the Blazers with a wire-to-wire drubbing, resulting in a 136-114 victory, despite a game high 36 points by Geoff Petrie. Gail Goodrich led the Lakers with 28 points while Happy Hairston and Keith Erickson each added 22 points. Jerry West passed for 15 assists and Wilt Chamberlain grabbed 14 rebounds to tie Hairston.
Within the context of the basketball world, Portland is commonly referred to as “Rip City”. Many longtime Trail Blazer fans know the origin of the term, but the younger fans, the newer fans, and the fans of other teams may not be aware of the history. For those who are unaware and those who would like a refresher, here is how Portland became “Rip City”.
Legend has it that on this day, Blazer announcer Bill Schonely used the phrase “Rip City” for the first time. Schonely said he had been trying to come up with a phrase that would “help my broadcast, as well as be synonymous with the team. I couldn’t figure it out." On February 18th, 1971, the Los Angeles Lakers came to town and the two teams faced off in the Memorial Coliseum for the fourth time that inaugural season. “The Lakers ... Wilt Chamberlin, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor … the place (Memorial Coliseum) was packed," said Schonely. |
It seemed that the Lakers would win handily, as expected, until the Trail Blazers made a significant push in the second half. "The Blazers were down by 25-26 points," Schonely recalled, before bringing the game to within two points. "All of a sudden as the game went on, the scene changed and the next basket by Portland would tie the mighty Lakers." It is at this point that the legend grows.
Jim Barnett, a 20-point scorer for the Blazers at the time, brought the ball up the sideline. The wiry guard was so in the groove that he decided to let it fly from just a few steps past the mid-court line, much to the chagrin of Schonely. “Jimmy stopped in front of me, turned to me, gave me a wink, spun around and then turned around and just threw it towards the basket for no particular reason,” Schonely said. “So, I followed the ball in the air and when it went through the netting, I came out — and why I’ll never know — ‘Rip City, alright!’ The Lakers call for a timeout, I give my commercial cue, I sit back in my chair, and the guys to my left and the guys to my right said, ‘Rip City?’ I said Yeah! They said ‘Leave that in.’ And that was the birth of Rip City.” |
February 20
February 21
February 23
PHILADELPHIA - The Blazers dropped a close one to the Sixers, 119-113 despite Geoff Petrie tying his career-high 43 points on his homecoming night in Philadelphia
The Portland Trail Blazers dropped a close decision to the Philadelphia 76ers 119-113 despite Geoff Petrie tying his career-high 43 points on his homecoming night in Philadelphia. Petrie was born in Darby, PA, and attended Springfield High School, in Springfield, PA, before going to college at Princeton University in New Jersey, had many visitors come to watch him during the "Geoff Petrie Night." Among the many visitors that came, besides his mother and other family members, were his High School and college basketball coaches, the band from his school. Petrie tied his career-high 43 points, which he set just 10 days previous, by making 18 of his 31 shots from the field for the game. He was 11 of 15 in the second half.
The Portland Trail Blazers dropped a close decision to the Philadelphia 76ers 119-113 despite Geoff Petrie tying his career-high 43 points on his homecoming night in Philadelphia. Petrie was born in Darby, PA, and attended Springfield High School, in Springfield, PA, before going to college at Princeton University in New Jersey, had many visitors come to watch him during the "Geoff Petrie Night." Among the many visitors that came, besides his mother and other family members, were his High School and college basketball coaches, the band from his school. Petrie tied his career-high 43 points, which he set just 10 days previous, by making 18 of his 31 shots from the field for the game. He was 11 of 15 in the second half.
The @trailblazers lost 119-113 to @sixers despite @GeoffPetrie tying his career-high 43 points on "Geoff Petrie Night." Petrie attended HS at @SSDAthletics before going to play @Princeton & many from both places came to watch their local player who turned pro.
Reports of nearly 2K visitors came, including his mother, his HS & college coaches, watched Petrie make 18 of 31 shots from field for game, including 11 of 15 in 2nd half. Petrie received a set of golf clubs as a gift as well as a lifetime pass to Springfield Jaycess club. |
February 24
@GeoffPetrie and @Pete_Maravich faced each other in their final rookie match with @ATLHawks taking a 118-107 victory against @trailblazers. Maravich outscored Petrie 92-84 in the four games but Petrie shot better from the floor (41 to 37 %) and the free throw line (88 to 81) The teams each won two games on their own home court. |
February 26
BALTIMORE -
February 27
The Blazers head to Madison Square Garden to face the defending NBA Champion New York Knicks. A preview of the game appeared in the Saturday edition of the New York Times, with the results of the game the following day on the front page of the sports section of the New York Times as well.