January 31, 1978
PORTLAND — The Milwaukee Bucks came into the Memorial Coliseum looking to run with the defending champs and did a decent job for a half before the Blazers pushed the young Bucks aside in the second half, on way to a 136-116 victory. “There was good tempo by both teams in the first half and good tempo for them in the second,” said Bucks coach Don Nelson. The win is the Blazers fourth straight and this was the closest margin with a 20 point spread. The Blazers move to 39-8 overall and is their 43rd straight win at home. The Blazers host the Golden State Warriors on Feb 3 before the league All-Star game on Feb. 5 in Atlanta.
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The Blazers, who have won their last four games by 23, 35, 35 and 20 points, were led by Lionel Hollins with 24 points and dished for five assists while Bill Walton was right behind with 23 points and five assists as well. Walton also added 10 rebounds and blocked four shots. Bob Gross added 19 points, passed for six assists while getting two blocks as well. Johnny Davis, starting in place of Dave Twardzik, scored 14 points. Reserves Lloyd Neal and Tom Owens each added 13 points, with Neal also grabbing 10 rebounds.
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January 29, 1978
PORTLAND — The Blazers picked up this evening against the Houston Rockets where they left off against the New Jersey Nets three nights ago as they rolled to a 123-88 victory. “An outstanding game for us in every department,” said Blazers coach Jack Ramsey. “Our early ball movement and player movement was as good as we can play.” The 35 point win is the largest margin of victory over the Rockets in the eight seasons that Portland has played and caused Houston coach Tom Nissalke to say, “We would have had to play one of our very best games ever just to have kept it close.” The win moves Portland to a 38-8 record on the season with two more games before the All-Star break
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The Blazers opened the game on fire from the field, hitting .720 in the first quarter alone as they jumped to a 37-24 lead, led by Bob Gross’s eight points. “We got a lot of variety in our offense today,” said Gross. The 13-point lead doubled by halftime as the Blazers led 67-41 after 24 minutes. With the building of the lead to 31 points after three quarters, 94-63, the Blazers starters were able to enjoy a rest and the reserves saw action. Houston never threaten again and the Blazers coasted to their 38th victory.
Maurice Lucas led the Blazers with 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds despite a sprained finger on his shooting hand. “I was getting the ball where I wanted to get it and that helps,” said Lucas. Lionel Hollins and Tom Owens each scored 19 points with Hollins passing for eight assists while Owens, who admitted to having a “lot of fun” against his old Rocket teammates, also grabbed four rebounds and blocked two shots. Bob Gross and T.R. Dunn each had 13 points and five rebounds, with Lloyd Neal adding 12 points. Bill Walton also contributed 10 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and five blocked shots in 25 minutes of action. “We’ve played pretty well in our last games,” said Walton. “But I don’t think you ever can be perfect in a game. There always are things you can do better.”
January 26, 1978
PORTLAND — Over 1000 people gathered yesterday at Portland Airport to greet the home team after a successful seven-game road trip. The good feelings carried over to today as the Blazers thumped the visiting New Jersey Nets 112-77 despite having two starters, Maurice Lucas and Dave Twardzik, sidelined and not in uniform. “It seems as if we concentrate better when we have someone out,” said Blazer center Bill Walton. “That’s better than it used to be around here.” The win is the Blazers 41st straight home victory, which includes 10 playoff games last season. The NBA record is 36 straight regular season games set by the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Seven of the nine Blazer players scored in double figures, led by Walton who scored 27 points, gathered 14 rebounds and blocked two shots in 24 minutes of play. Johnny Davis, starting in place of Twardzik, hit all 11 free throws he attempted on his way to 15 points. Tom Owens had a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Lloyd Neal, starting in place of Lucas scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Lionel Hollins also scored 13 points. Bob Gross, who played the most minutes with 34 scored 11 points and passed for six assists. Rookie T.R. Dunn hit for a career-high 10 points, grabbed five rebounds and four steals in 27 minutes.
January 24, 1978
KANSAS CITY — The Blazers corrected their two-game slide with some Kansas City cooking on their way to a 120-97 thumping of the Kings. “We went back to fundamentals,” said Dave Twardzik. “When things aren't going right, that’s what you have to do.” The Blazers ended their seven-game road trip with a record of 4-3. The win is the 14th road victory of the season, which ties the club record for road victories in a season, set last year. The Blazers, with an overall record of 36-8, are 14-8 on the road and still have 19 road games left in the season. Portland returns home for a four-game home stand before breaking for the NBA All-Star game on Feb. 5 in Atlanta.
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The Blazers were behind 4-6 early in the first quarter before a 10-point streak turned the game around. Led by Lionel Hollins, who had 12 points, the Blazers ended the quarter with a 35-22 lead before putting on a clinic in the second quarter. Portland connected on 17 of 29 field goals, hit all seven free throws, and had no turnovers on their way to scoring 41 points in the second quarter, jumping to a 76-41 halftime lead. “That was great basketball,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. “That’s as good as we can play.” Larry Steele, who had 12 points in the first half, agreed. “The first half was your basic basketball clinic.” The Kings mustered up some offense in the third quarter, cutting the 35 point halftime deficit to 19 points at 92-73 but Portland continued to build in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter to put the Kings away for good.
Kansas City was led by Richard Washington who had 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots while his front court mate Scott Wedman added 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The Kings backcourt combo of Ron Boone and Lucius Allen each had 16 points, with Allen pulling down six rebounds and passing for five assists. Boone connected on 10-12 from the free throw line. Tom Burleson had 10 points and eight rebounds in a reserve role.
All five Blazers starters scored in double figures led by Hollins who finished with 18 points. Bob Gross added 17 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots in 29 minutes of play. Maurice Lucas, who had nine rebounds, and Dave Twardzik each had 14 points while reserves Larry Steele and Tom Owens each finished with 12 points. Bill Walton added 13 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.
Kansas City was led by Richard Washington who had 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots while his front court mate Scott Wedman added 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The Kings backcourt combo of Ron Boone and Lucius Allen each had 16 points, with Allen pulling down six rebounds and passing for five assists. Boone connected on 10-12 from the free throw line. Tom Burleson had 10 points and eight rebounds in a reserve role.
All five Blazers starters scored in double figures led by Hollins who finished with 18 points. Bob Gross added 17 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots in 29 minutes of play. Maurice Lucas, who had nine rebounds, and Dave Twardzik each had 14 points while reserves Larry Steele and Tom Owens each finished with 12 points. Bill Walton added 13 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.
January 22, 1978
SAN ANTONIO — For the first time since the Championship series last May, the Blazers have lost back-to-back games on the road with a 106-95 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. “We didn’t respond to their defensive pressure,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey, adding further about the Spurs guard George Gervin who scored 34 points in the win, “Gervin is tough. For us he may be the toughest guard in the league.” The Blazers are 3-3 on their seven-game road trip, finishing up in two days at Kansas City. The Blazers on the season are 13-8 on the road and 35-8 overall.
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The Spurs jumped to a quick 5-0 lead in the first minute and despite multiple runs by the Blazers in the second half, never relinquished the lead, becoming the first Blazer opponent this season to lead a game from start to finish. The Blazers didn’t help the situation in the first half as they forced some bad shots, leading to a .372 shooting percentage in the half. The Spurs were able to build a commanding 52-37 halftime lead. The Spurs lost a point off the lead, 75-61, going into the final quarter before the Blazers mounted a comeback. The Blazer erased nine of the 14 points when Lionel Hollins hit a jumper with 1:17 left to bring the Blazers to within five at 96-91. Gervin was able to break free for a jumper with 55 seconds left, then drove the lane and drew the sixth foul on Bill Walton before hitting two free throws to give the Spurs a 100-91 lead with 38 seconds left.
Gervin was 12-14 from the free throw line on his way to the 34 points, the thirteenth time this season he scored more than 30 points. “Beating the champions is great,” said Gervin, adding “This game had me so psyched up I couldn’t believe it.” Billy Paultz manned the center position well with 18 points and 11 rebounds while his front court mates, Larry Kenon and Coby Dietrick had 15 and 12 points respectively and combined for 13 rebounds. Maurice Lucas led the Blazers with 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds but committed eight turnovers. Lionel Hollins finished with 16 points while Bill Walton had 14 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks before fouling out. Walton also committed eight turnovers. Larry Steele came off the bench to put in 13 points. Bob Gross and Tom Owens each had 10 points with Owens getting seven rebounds. A glaring issue for Ramsey in the box score was the free throw attempts as the Spurs attempted 42 (making 36) while the Blazers only shot 18. “That’s quite a significant difference,” said Ramsey. The Blazers made 13 of their 18 attempts, a 23-point discrepancy for the game compared to the 36 free throws the Spurs connected on. |
January 20, 1978
NEW ORLEANS — The Blazers and Jazz seemed to have changed uniforms between the opening quarters as the Jazz took control in the second quarter and eked out a 101-100 victory over the Blazers. “We didn’t play well enough to win,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. “I’ve said it before. Any team in this league can beat you if you don’t play well.” The Blazers loss is only the seventh of the season but it is also the seventh time they have come up empty in New Orleans since the Jazz started play in 1974. |
The Blazers were continuing on with their winning ways, jumping to a 16-point lead late in the opening quarter before settling to a 30-16 lead heading into the second quarter. “We started standing and shooting perimeter shots after the first quarter,” said Ramsey. The Jazz quickly recovered in the second quarter, eventually moving ahead late and held a two point advantage at the break, 50-48. “We just played terrible after the first quarter,” said Lionel Hollins. The Jazz continued to play better than their 20-24 record indicated keeping the Blazers at bay for the second half. “That is one helluva team,” said Jazz coach Elgin Baylor. “We had them down and they kept coming back.” The Jazz led 79-76 going into the final stanza when the Blazers made a final run.
With the Jazz leading 96-86 with four minutes remaining, the Blazers reeled off 10 straight points to tie the game at 96-96 with 2:28 left. The Jazz hit for three free throws in back to back possessions before Portland hit two back to back baskets, getting their first lead since mid second quarter at 100-99 with 14 seconds left. The Jazz set a screen and roll play for their small forward Aaron James who hit the winning shot with nine-seconds left. “It was a big bucket by Aaron,” said Baylor. “We set the play up for him.” The Blazers tried to counter, to pull out another last second win, but a long jumper by Hollins missed the mark, snapping the Blazers three-game winning streak. |
The final basket by James gave him leading scorer honors with 26 points, ahead of Truck Robinson who tallied 25 points and 17 rebounds. Pete Maravich, who is subject of trade rumors in New Orleans, added 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists before fouling out. Jazz General Manager Lewis Schaffel denied there have been any trade talks regarding Maravich. Steve Kelley had 14 points while Slick Watts added 11. New Orleans out-rebounded the Blazers 53-40 prompting Ramsey to say, “We shouldn’t be out-rebounded by that team.”
The Blazers only had three players in double figure, led by Bill Walton with 24 points and nine rebounds. Maurice Lucas had 22 points, 10 rebounds and blocked three shots. Lionel Hollins finished with 21 points while no other Blazer had more than the nine points that Dave Twardzik had. The Blazers, have played five of their seven-game road trip, and are currently 3-2, move on to San Antonio to play the Spurs in two days.
The Blazers only had three players in double figure, led by Bill Walton with 24 points and nine rebounds. Maurice Lucas had 22 points, 10 rebounds and blocked three shots. Lionel Hollins finished with 21 points while no other Blazer had more than the nine points that Dave Twardzik had. The Blazers, have played five of their seven-game road trip, and are currently 3-2, move on to San Antonio to play the Spurs in two days.
January 18, 1978
PISCATAWAY, NJ — When the Blazers were first founded, they traveled around the Northwest and played in high school gymnasiums during their first exhibition season. Todays contest a 127-101 victory against the New Jersey Nets brought back memories of that time as well as the old American Basketball Association. “This was a little different,” said Maurice Lucas, who along with Dave Twardzik, played in the ABA. “This isn’t exactly the kind of place to play pro basketball.” The Nets are playing at Rutgers University in central New Jersey with a seating capacity of 8,000 after playing for the last four years at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York which has a capacity of 13,500. A new home is being built nearby in East Rutherford, New Jersey which will seat over 20,000.
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With a small but rowdy crowd of 6,428 on hand, the Nets opened the game running to a quick 9-2 lead and 29-25 advantage after 12 minutes on the strength of rookie Bernard King, who scored 14 points in the opening stanza, mostly guarded by Lucas. Reserve Corky Calhoun tried his hand at stopping King in the second quarter and held him to nine points. The Blazers were able to reverse the opening quarter deficit and get to a 58-52 halftime lead. Blazer coach Jack Ramsey went with Bob Gross in the second half in guarding King and he had much better success as he only scored two points the rest of the way. “We kept three guys after King,” said Ramsey, “and I think he finally got tired. Gross did a fine job against him.” When asked what he did different in the second half, Lucas responded saying, “I guarded someone else.”
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The Blazers took a commanding lead in the third quarter, turning their six-point halftime advantage into a 20 point 95-75 lead before Ramsey was able to play his bench. Besides the rookie T.R. Dunn, who only played the final six minutes of the game, the other five reserves played between 16 to 27 minutes while no starter besides Lionel Hollins played 30 minutes. As a team, the Blazers dished for a season high 41 assists on their 56 field goals.
Bernard King, the seventh pick in last summers NBA draft by the Nets from the University of Tennessee, finished the game with 25 points in his 36 minutes of play. Another rookie Eddie Jordan was the only other Net in double digits as he finished with a career-high 22 points in a reserve role. Jordan, who played his college ball at this Rutgers gym, was drafted by Cleveland before coming to New Jersey. Darnell Hillman led the Nets with 10 rebounds
Bernard King, the seventh pick in last summers NBA draft by the Nets from the University of Tennessee, finished the game with 25 points in his 36 minutes of play. Another rookie Eddie Jordan was the only other Net in double digits as he finished with a career-high 22 points in a reserve role. Jordan, who played his college ball at this Rutgers gym, was drafted by Cleveland before coming to New Jersey. Darnell Hillman led the Nets with 10 rebounds
The Blazers were led by Bill Walton who scored 30 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished for six assists in 28 minutes of play. His back-up, Tom Owens, had 16 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes of action. Maurice Lucas and Larry Steele each had 15 points, with Lucas getting eight rebounds. Dave Twardzik had 11 points and passed for eight assists while Lloyd Neal and Bob Gross each had 10 points. Neal gathered 11 rebounds in 24 minutes. The locker rooms that were available to the Blazers were so small and with only two shower heads that the team came to the gym dressed and returned to their hotel to shower. The Blazers next play in the New Orleans Superdome, which can fit approximately five Rutgers gymnasiums.
January 17, 1978
BUFFALO — The city of Buffalo is again feeling the Lake Effect as snow is piled high outside The War Memorial Auditorium, limiting 8,655 the people who saw a miraculous 96-94 Blazer victory over the Braves. “Buffalo played a great game and we were hard-pressed to win,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. “We had to play very well down the stretch to get it done.” The win is Portland’s 12 road victory and moves the Blazers to 34-6. Due to weather conditions along the eastern seaboard, the Blazers were to leave immediately after the game to travel to New Jersey to play the Nets tomorrow.
Both teams offered up cold-shooting in the opening half but Portland was able to keep a lead after the first quarter at 24-22 and for the |
halftime break with a 46-44 lead before Buffalo turned the tide in the third quarter. The Blazers started to make their move in the third quarter, getting to a 60-52 lead before Billy Knight went wild. Knight tallied 18 points in the quarter and turned the 12 point Brave deficit into a 74-68 lead when the third quarter ended. “I guarded Knight the same way in the second half as the first,” said Bob Gross. “He is a good shooter and the kind of guy who gets turned on.”
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January 15, 1978
BOSTON — The Blazers have not lost two games in a row since the Championship series with Philadelphia last May but appeared to be on the brink of a second loss in a row in the first half against the Boston Celtics before coming back to gain a 107-103 overtime win. “This was a big win,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. “To beat Boston here with two players out is special.” Portland was without Larry Steele, who stayed home with a leg injury and Bill Walton who was home with his wife Susan who gave birth yesterday to their second son, Nathan. Both players are expected to be in Buffalo for Blazers next game on January 17.
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The Celtics, who recently fired longtime coach Tommy Heinsohn, played with more intensity on the defensive side in the first half compared to their last two losses versus Portland. Boston jumped to a 33-25 lead after the first quarter and increased the lead to 13 points at 59-46. The Blazers helped the Celtics cause as they were shooting .296 in the first half, causing coach Ramsey to explode at halftime. “It was the first time I heard Jack curse,” said Dave Twardzik, who scored six points of the Blazers 12 points in the overtime period. Bob Gross concurred adding, “He told us he didn’t even recognize what we were doing on offense.”
Boston was led by 38-year old John Havlicek who scored 22 points in 43 minutes of play. Havlicek also finished with five rebounds and six assists while Curtis Rowe added 20 points and nine rebounds in a reserve role. Dave Cowens, who played all 53 minutes, had 18 points, eight rebounds and had the games only blocked shot. Sidney Wicks had 16 points and seven rebounds before fouling out. The Celtics backcourt of Jo Jo White (13) and Dave Bing (10) combined for 23 points. White had six assists before fouling out while Bing passed for five assists. Tom Sanders, doubling as player and coach, played four minutes and did not score but noted after the game that, “Portland went out and played good defense in the second half,”
Sanders has guided the Celtics to a record of 2-3 since taking over for Heinshon who was let go after 34 games this season and a record of 11-23. Heinsohn had coached Boston for 8 seasons, since the 1969/70 season, and had a 416-240 record prior to this season, a .634 winning record. The Celtics had won two NBA Championships (1974 & 1976) under his guidance. The Celtics only had one losing season under Heinsohn, the 1969/70 season when the Celtics went 34-48 and missed the playoffs. The Celtics missed the playoffs in the 1970/71 season as well but improved by 10 wins. They made the playoffs in his last six full season, always winning the first round before losing twice in the Eastern Conference Championships (1973 & 1975).
Maurice Lucas led all scorers with 23 points while also gathering 10 rebounds. Lionel Hollins added 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds as well. Twardzik ended the game with 15 points while Tom Owens, starting in place of Bill Walton, scored 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds before fouling out. Bob Gross, who also fouled out, ended the game with 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Lloyd Neal finished the game with 10 points and seven rebounds. Bill Walton and Larry Steele are both expected to be available to play in two days when the Blazers travel to Buffalo to face the Braves.
Sanders has guided the Celtics to a record of 2-3 since taking over for Heinshon who was let go after 34 games this season and a record of 11-23. Heinsohn had coached Boston for 8 seasons, since the 1969/70 season, and had a 416-240 record prior to this season, a .634 winning record. The Celtics had won two NBA Championships (1974 & 1976) under his guidance. The Celtics only had one losing season under Heinsohn, the 1969/70 season when the Celtics went 34-48 and missed the playoffs. The Celtics missed the playoffs in the 1970/71 season as well but improved by 10 wins. They made the playoffs in his last six full season, always winning the first round before losing twice in the Eastern Conference Championships (1973 & 1975).
Maurice Lucas led all scorers with 23 points while also gathering 10 rebounds. Lionel Hollins added 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds as well. Twardzik ended the game with 15 points while Tom Owens, starting in place of Bill Walton, scored 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds before fouling out. Bob Gross, who also fouled out, ended the game with 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Lloyd Neal finished the game with 10 points and seven rebounds. Bill Walton and Larry Steele are both expected to be available to play in two days when the Blazers travel to Buffalo to face the Braves.
January 13, 1978
LANDOVER, MD, — Should the Washington Bullets meet the Blazers in the playoffs, they wanted to send a message to the Blazers now how tough the series would be and the 102-93 victory over Portland was the first shot fired. “We might meet those guys in the playoffs,” said Bullets forward Elvin Hayes. “We wanted to establish something against them, to show them we could beat them.” The loss, only the Blazers 6th in 38 games snapped a seven game winning streak and comes the day after having potential meetings with President Jimmy Carter and Oregon Senator Bob Packwood canceled. The Blazers will move on to Boston for the second game of their seven game road trip in two days hence.
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The Bullets were lead by Bob Dandridge who had 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds despite having an infected toe. Hayes was a bucket behind with 20 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots. “He is one of the toughest players in the league to stop when he gets the ball down low,” said Bob Gross. “They (the Bullets) are patient and work hard to get the ball to him there.” Kupchak ended the game with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Kevin Grevey also added 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Larry Wright was the only other Bullet player in double digits with 12 points.
Bill Walton led the Blazers with 24 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. Lionel Hollins added 19 points and five assists before fouling out. Dave Twardzik added 15 points with Bob Gross adding 12 points. Gross also had six steals. Maurice Lucas, who is struggling with a foot issue, had seven points but pulled down 10 rebounds. “With the foot sore, I can’t seem to get the right leverage (for shooting),” said Lucas who shot 3-14 from the field. The Blazers move on to Boston to play the Celtics on a nationally televised game by CBS
Bill Walton led the Blazers with 24 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. Lionel Hollins added 19 points and five assists before fouling out. Dave Twardzik added 15 points with Bob Gross adding 12 points. Gross also had six steals. Maurice Lucas, who is struggling with a foot issue, had seven points but pulled down 10 rebounds. “With the foot sore, I can’t seem to get the right leverage (for shooting),” said Lucas who shot 3-14 from the field. The Blazers move on to Boston to play the Celtics on a nationally televised game by CBS
January 10, 1978
PORTLAND — The New York Knicks gave the Blazers their all. In the first quarter at least before eventually falling 126-113. “We played them tougher the other two times,” said Knicks coach Willis Reed referring to the two previous Blazer victories earlier this season before adding, “but I thought they put it all together tonight.” The win gives the Blazers a seventh straight win, the third time this season that the team has won at least seven straight. The Blazers currently are 32-5 and head on the road for a 12-day, seven game road trip starting with the Washington Bullets on Jan. 13. The Blazers are tentatively scheduled to meet with President Jimmy Carter at the White House before having lunch with Oregon Senator Bob Packwood on January 12.
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The Knicks, playing their third game of their eight-game road trip, started the first quarter playing the Blazers type of game and held their own, staying within 34-31 after the first 12 minutes before falling apart in the second quarter. The Blazers continued to expand the lead, getting to a 61-52 at halftime but the third quarter proved too much for the Knicks. Leading 66-56 a few minutes after the break, the Blazers went on a 14-0 run in a five minute stretch, pushing the score to 80-56. “We really came out strong in the third quarter,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. “The basis of our strong play always is defense at was that way (in the third quarter)” The Knicks, using a lineup mainly of three rookies and former Oregon State player Lonnie Shelton, chipped away as best they could, but could never get closer than eight points in the final quarter. “We didn’t have any lulls until the game was in hand,” said Bob Gross.
The Knicks were led by Bob McAdoo and rookie Ray Williams who each scored 21 points with McAdoo also grabbing nine rebounds. Williams, who scored all his points in the second half also finished with six assists. Rookie Toby Knight had 17 points and Shelton had 14 points along with seven rebounds. Earl Monroe finished with 13 points and noted the difference in his play from previous seasons. “I’d like to be the shooter,” said Monroe who is one of only 23 players in NBA history to score more than 15,000 points, “what counts is the bottom line, whether we win or lose.” Portland had three players scoring more than 20 points with reserve center Tom Owens leading the pack with 22 points in 15 minutes. Lionel Hollins finished with 21 points and eight steals, one off the Blazers team high of nine set by Larry Steele. Bill Walton finished the game with 20 points, 19 rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots. Maurice Lucas scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds despite playing with five fouls most of the second half. Bob Gross and Lloyd Neal each had 12 points. |
January 8, 1978
PORTLAND — The Blazers decided not to have the New Orleans Jazz threaten their home winning streak like their recent games. Instead of making comebacks like they did against the Bulls and Pistons, the Blazers had multiple streaks leading to a 122-100 victory over the Jazz in a game that was televised nationally by CBS. “A good performance,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. “We played with more consistency than we have been doing recently.” With the win, the Blazers record stands at 31-5 and assured Ramsey was to be the NBA All-Star coach for the Western Conference. |
The two teams started relatively even, exchanging baskets for half of the first quarter. The Jazz even moved ahead 8-5 off a full court underhanded pass by Pete Maravich to Gail Goodrich who scored an easy layup just 3 minutes into the game. After Jazz center Rich Kelley hit a basket to move New Orleans within a point at 17-16, the Blazers went on a 9-0 run as Bill Walton scored five points and Lionel Hollins scored four. The Blazers continued to build the lead to 59-50 at half. The Blazers went on another 9-0 run mid-way thru the third quarter, moving to 79-56, led by Maurice Lucas who scored 15 points in the third quarter alone. With reserve players playing most of the final quarter the Blazers biggest lead came at 121-94 before settling for the 22 point victory.
Bob Gross, above, on a fast break while Dave Twardzik cuts through the lane in their set offense at right. Photos copied off Youtube airing of game.
Truck Robinson led the Jazz with 19 points as well as gathering 10 rebounds with Pete Maravich right behind with 18 points. Maravich also committed 10 turnovers. Aaron James added 12 points while Gail Goodrich, Joe Meriweather and Slick Watts, who was acquired four days ago from the Seattle Super Sonics for a future New Orleans, each scored 10 points a piece. Meriweather grabbed 10 rebounds while reserve Paul Griffin grabbed 12 rebounds.
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Truck Robinson led the Jazz with 19 points as well as gathering 10 rebounds with Pete Maravich right behind with 18 points. Maravich also committed 10 turnovers. Aaron James added 12 points while Gail Goodrich, Joe Meriweather and Slick Watts, who was acquired four days ago from the Seattle Super Sonics for a future New Orleans, each scored 10 points a piece. Meriweather grabbed 10 rebounds while reserve Paul Griffin grabbed 12 rebounds.
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Hollins led the Blazers with 27 points, the sixth game in a row of scoring 17 points or more. “Lionel is playing with great strength, confidence and poise,” said Ramsey. “He always plays good defense too.” Bill Walton scored 17 points in the first half after Jazz coach Elgin Baylor determined Walton was in a shooting slump based on the Detroit game. “We decided to let him shoot more, to let him have the outside shot,” said Baylor. “Obviously the strategy didn’t work.” Walton finished with 19 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, blocked two shots and passed for seven assists. Maurice Lucas scored 17 points and hauled in eight rebounds. Reserves Tom Owens and Lloyd Neal had 13 and 12 points respectively while also gathering 11 rebounds and seven rebounds each.
January 7, 1978
PORTLAND — For the second game in a row, the Blazers appeared to ready to end their home-winning streak, this time against the Detroit Pistons before scoring the last 12 points to eek out a 109-105 victory over the Pistons. “We are going to spoil our fans,” said Blazer forward Bob Gross. Blazer coach Jack Ramsey added “I told the players that the comebacks we have made have been exceptional and have demonstrated the traits of a championship team.” The win gives the Blazers a 30-5 record and is their 38th straight victory at home. |
The Pistons seemed to have caught the Blazers still celebrating the 92-90 victory over the Chicago Bulls as Detroit jumped to a 34-21 lead after the first quarter. The 13 point deficit at the quarter break is the largest Portland has faced after one quarter this season but soon the Blazers made adjustments to get within a point at half at 52-51. The Blazers employed a full-court coverage that turned the Pistons into a turnover machine in the second quarter. “We didn’t get steals in the backcourt but the pressure took them out of their offense,” said Blazer assistant coach Jack McKinney.
The teams played even in the third quarter and ended with the Pistons still up 82-81 before Bob Lanier started to turn on the offense. The Pistons center scored eight points as Detroit went on a 23-16 spurt in the fourth quarter to gain a 105-97 lead with four minutes remaining before the Blazer heroics started. Dave Twardzik started the streak when he hit a jumper and Lloyd Neal hit a layup to make the score 105-101. After Gross scored another layup, the hero from the Bulls game Lionel Hollins hit a jumper with 2:09 remaining and tied the score at 105-105. After another Piston turnover, Hollins was able to score one of two free throw attempts to give the Blazers the lead at 106-105. Thirty-two seconds later the score was 107-105 as Twardzik hit a single free throw. The Pistons again turned the ball over and the Blazers were working the clock down before referee Ed Middleton made a call that erupted the Pistons bench. Gross spotted Neal under the basket, whipped the pass to him but the ball was deflected by a Piston player just before Neal appeared to touch the ball. Middleton ruled the ball Neal didn’t touch it and the ball belonged to Portland, forcing Piston players and coach Bob Kauffman to protest the call. “Neal knocked the ball out-of-bounds and everybody knows it,” said Kauffman, “But the official didn’t see it and he just guessed. He had to gall to tell us that (Chris) Ford hit the ball out.” Neal grinned in the locker room after the game and replied, “My finger nail probably touched the ball.” |
Lanier led all scorers with 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in 45 minutes of play. “Lanier has outplayed Bill Walton in the past,” said Kauffman. “He outplayed him impressively tonight. Lanier is simply an offensive machine, the best offensive center in the game today.” Eric Money added 22 points and dished for six assists. John Shumate added 15 points and seven rebounds while Gus Gerard and Leon Douglas each scored 10 points.
Gross and Hollins each had 21points to lead the Blazers this evening and each had four rebounds as well. Twardzik finished with 18 points while Maurice Lucas added 14 points and nine rebounds. Neal finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds as a reserve while Bill Walton finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Looking over the schedule, Walton said “We can win the rest of them and finish 77-5” Ramsey corrected him by saying, “Yes but we can only do that if we win tomorrow night. That is the first step.” Tomorrow’s game against the New Orleans Jazz will be televised nationally by CBS
January 3, 1978
Today's game against the Chicago Bulls was one of the greatest comebacks in Blazer history as Lionel Hollins scored two baskets and had a steal in the final 10 seconds to turn a 90-86 deficit into a 92-90 win, the Blazers 37th straight home victory. I decided to share the original Oregonian coverage instead of doing my usual recap. Please enjoy this page and also to look at another article on the Jan News & Notes page above. |
January 1, 1978
PORTLAND — Sometimes people ring in the new year and have a bit of a let down the next day. Not to say the Blazers partied last night but the opening half of the 107-102 victory over the Kansas City Kings looked as if the players were a bit sluggish. “In two years, I can’t remember us coming back from a road trip and having a good game at home the first time out,” said Blazers assistant coach Jack McKinney. “Fortunately we have learned to keep our poise.” The win moves the Blazers to 28-5 on the season and is their 36th straight victory at home.
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The Kings, who play a more controlled pattern offense, jumped on the Blazers early as their perimeter shooters were able to hit as they moved to a 33-26 lead after the first quarter. “They got a great start,” said Blazer forward Maurice Lucas. “They really came to play.” The Kings continued to build their lead, getting to an 11 point lead at one point, before the Blazers started to run a little more late in the second quarter to close the score to 54-50 at halftime. “The defense by our guards after the half turned the game around for us,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey.
The Blazers opened the third quarter scoring the first eight points, getting to a 58-54 lead as Lionel Hollins and Johnny Davis were responsible for all the points. “We wanted to come out and be more aggressive on defense,” said Hollins. Kings coach Phil Johnson felt that the “lack of movement” by his players contributed to losing the lead as they started to play the running style that Portland is used to playing. The Blazers closed the Kings lead to 78-77 after three quarters and continued to run in the final quarter. The Blazers, leading 99-92, watched the Kings mount a final surge, closing to 100-98 with 93 seconds left before Lucas and Davis each sank two free throws over the next 30 seconds to move the Blazers to a 104-100 lead. After a Kansas City timeout to set a play, the inbounded pass bounced of a King player leading to a Blazer fast break to secure the win.
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The Kings were led by their forwards Scott Wedman and former Benson Tech High School star Richard Washington with 16 points a piece, with Washington grabbing 13 rebounds before being one of three Kings players that fouled out. Ron Boone scored 15 points as a reserve player while Otis Birdsong had 10 points. Tom Burleson had 10 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out. Sam Lacey was the third player to foul out after getting six points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Lucius Allen had nine assists for the Kings. “Overall, I thought we played pretty well,” said Johnson. “We played about as well as we can play.”
Bill Walton led the Blazers in scoring and rebounding with 25 and 15 respectively. Maurice Lucas finished with 19 points with Hollins a bucket behind at 17 points as well as passing for eight assists. Johnny Davis, starting for injured Dave Twardzik, added 13 points while Bob Gross and Lloyd Neal each had 11 points.
Bill Walton led the Blazers in scoring and rebounding with 25 and 15 respectively. Maurice Lucas finished with 19 points with Hollins a bucket behind at 17 points as well as passing for eight assists. Johnny Davis, starting for injured Dave Twardzik, added 13 points while Bob Gross and Lloyd Neal each had 11 points.