March 2
DETROIT - The Blazers rolled into the Motor City looking to improve their chances at securing the best expansion record but instead helped the Detroit Pistons secure their first winning season in franchise history in the 128-122 contest despite 41 points by Geoff Petrie.
Petrie hit on 16 of his 25 attempts, passed for 8 assists, grabbed 6 rebounds and was credited with 4 steals. Gary Gregor and Stan McKenzie each added 20 points with Gregor grabbing 10 rebounds. Dale Schlueter led all rebounders with 12.
Dave Bing scored 34 points and rookie Bob Lanier, who scored a career-high 38 points, led the Pistons. Lanier grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Detroit.
Petrie hit on 16 of his 25 attempts, passed for 8 assists, grabbed 6 rebounds and was credited with 4 steals. Gary Gregor and Stan McKenzie each added 20 points with Gregor grabbing 10 rebounds. Dale Schlueter led all rebounders with 12.
Dave Bing scored 34 points and rookie Bob Lanier, who scored a career-high 38 points, led the Pistons. Lanier grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Detroit.
March 3
March 5
OMAHA, NEB. - Norm Van Lier scored 27 points and passed for 18 assists, tying his career-high, in the Royals 117-111 victory over the Blazers. Van Lier set his career-high just two days previous against the Baltimore Bullets. Tom Van Arsdale topped Van Lier with 30 points
The Blazers were led by Geoff Petrie's 25 points while LeRoy Ellis scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Gary Gregor with 16 rebounds and Dale Schlueter with 11 boards helped the Blazers grab 70 rebounds while holding the Royals to 42.
The Blazers were led by Geoff Petrie's 25 points while LeRoy Ellis scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Gary Gregor with 16 rebounds and Dale Schlueter with 11 boards helped the Blazers grab 70 rebounds while holding the Royals to 42.
Van Lier would lead the @NBA in assists during the 1970/71 season with 10.1 assists, continuing a Royals tradition started by Hall-of-Fame player Oscar Robertson, who lead the league 6 times in his first 10 seasons playing with the Royals. Robertson was traded prior to this season and Van Lier took over, finishing just ahead of Oscar who played for the Milwaukee Bucks. Van Lier would be traded to the Chicago Bulls midway thru the 1971/72 season and drop to 6th in assists but Nate Archibald would take over, finishing 3rd with a 9.2 average before becoming the assist king in the 1972/73 season with 11.4 average.
March 7
SAN DIEGO - Geoff Petrie scored 40 points for the Portland Trail Blazers but it wasn't enough as the Blazers fell 135-121 as Elvin Hayes and Stu Lantz combined for 72 points in the win.
Ed Manning recorded his career-high of 19 points in the loss.
Ed Manning recorded his career-high of 19 points in the loss.
Ed Manning added a career-high 19 points for Portland. Manning played college basketball for the Jackson State University Tigers from 1963 to 1967 and scored 1,610 career points. Manning was inducted into the Jackson State University Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Manning was drafted in the 8th round of the 1967 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets, where he played for 2 1/2 seasons before being traded to the Chicago Bulls. Portland selected him in the Expansion draft and he played 1 season in Portland before being waived prior to the 1971/72 season. Manning then played five seasons in the ABA—three with the Carolina Cougars and one each with the New York Nets and Indiana Pacers before later playing for several professional European teams. In 1983, Manning was hired as an assitant coach at @KUHoops under Larry Brown, who he played with the Cougars. and was on the staff of the team that won the 1988 national championship, a team led by Ed's son @CoachDManning Manning followed Brown to San Antonio in 1988 to serve as an assistant coach for the Spurs, where Brown had been hired as the team's head coach. He then worked as a scout in the NBA for various teams Manning passed away in 2011 at the age of 67. |
March 8
Also this evening, as the Ali-Frazier fight was captivating a nation, a theft of FBI files was being done in Philadelphia. The files would eventually prove how the FBI had infiltrated many anti-war and Civil Rights groups. The full story by Kevin B. Blackistone is at link below.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/03/07/ali-frazier-fight-century-cointelpro/ |
March 11
PORTLAND - Geoff Petrie scored 30 points as the Blazers stopped their 9-game losing streak with a 136-118 stomping of the Baltimore Bullets. Jim Barnett scored 24 points and passed for 8 assists while LeRoy Ellis and Gary Gregor each grabbed 14 rebounds. Gus Johnson led all rebounders with 20 while former Blazer Dorie Murrey grabbed 15 rebounds as he started in place of Wes Unseld
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Petrie, who has topped the 30 point mark 18 times, is only 160 points shy of scoring 2,000 for the season with 6 games remaining. He needs to average 26.7 points to accomplish the feat.
Petrie has the chance to be the seventh player to accomplish the feat. Previous players have all been centers or forwards with the exception of Oscar Robertson.
Petrie has the chance to be the seventh player to accomplish the feat. Previous players have all been centers or forwards with the exception of Oscar Robertson.
GAME NOTES: Rookie Claude English recorded his NBA career-high of 7 points this evening. English played a total of 18 games with Portland after being selected in the 7th round of the 1970 NBA Draft from the University of Rhode Island. While with Rhode Island, English was twice named to the All-Yankee Conference first team (1968/69 and 1969/70). English also served as a team captain over those two years. He was a one-year letter winner in track at Rhode Island in 1969.
Rookie Claude English, featured on today's game program, recorded his NBA career-high of 7 points this evening. English played a total of 18 games with Portland after being selected in the 7th round of the 1970 NBA Draft from the University of Rhode Island. While with University of Rhode Island Rams. While with @RhodyMBB English was twice named to the @YSCC8 1st team in 1968/69 and 1969/70. English also served as a team captain over those two years. He was a one-year letter winner with @RhodyMTrack 1969. |
After being released by the Blazers, English played in the Eastern Basketball Association for the Hartford Capitals, the affiliate team for the Philadelphia 76ers. In 1973-74, English won the Eastern Basketball Association Championship with the Capitals. He was a three-year captain at Hartford.
English was an assistant coach at Rhode Island in the two seasons prior to becoming the head in 1980. He led the Rams to a 20-8 record and an NIT appearance in his first season but finished with a 4 year record of 45-66 record and was dismissed. In 1992, English began his affiliation with Park University in Missouri, becoming the men’s basketball coach from the 1992/93 season and guided the Pirates through the end of the 2004-05 campaign. For his final 10 seasons at the helm of the Park University Men’s Basketball program, English also assumed the duties of Director of Athletics, a position he continues to hold. His record at Park University was 182-207 in 13 seasons. |
As far as I'm able to determine, this is the first game where any mention of "Rip City" is in either the @Oregonian or the #OregonJournal when 10-year old Allen Panage was captured during tonights game.
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March 12
March 13
March 14
PORTLAND - Rick Adelman makes his "coaching" debut when Rolland Todd was ejected in the Portland Trail Blazers 122-112 victory against the Buffalo, Home of the Braves
. With 7 minutes remaining in the contest, Todd was ejected with his second technical foul and turned the reins over to Adelman, who guided the Blazers to his first win at the helm. |
March 15
The Blazers went with what the fans voted for and selected heads in the annual coin flip to determine the 1st pick in the NBA Draft, but when NBA Commissioner Walter Kennedy's coin came up tails, there was a pall in the front offices in Portland. By virtue of the toss, fellow expansion club Cleveland Cavaliers won the top pick in the 1971 NBA Draft to be conducted on March 29 and 30.
The top picks for the coming draft include Sidney Wicks of UCLA, Artis Gilmore of Jacksonville, Elmore Smith of Western Kentucky, Ken Durrant of La Salle. The Blazers should still be able to draft a center at the 2nd position of the four names above. Stan Love of Univ. of Oregon is expected to be a late 1st round pick but is not on the Blazers wish list
The top picks for the coming draft include Sidney Wicks of UCLA, Artis Gilmore of Jacksonville, Elmore Smith of Western Kentucky, Ken Durrant of La Salle. The Blazers should still be able to draft a center at the 2nd position of the four names above. Stan Love of Univ. of Oregon is expected to be a late 1st round pick but is not on the Blazers wish list
March 16
Before the Blazers could even contemplate selecting Artis Gilmore, it is announced that the Jacksonville center has been signed by the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA. The Blazers are still hoping that Sidney Wicks will be available at pick number 2 but rumors are around that the Los Angeles Lakers would like to keep Wicks in Los Angeles
March 19
PORTLAND - Geoff Petrie capped the home schedule of the expansion Blazers with a career-high 46 points in a 135-128 victory over their NorthWest rival, the Seattle SuperSonics. The 46 point total still stands as a Blazer record for a rookie. Petrie ended the game 60 points shy of 2,000 points with 3 games remaining. He also passed for 10 assists, giving him 366 for the season. Petrie was also 18 for 21 from the free throw line, records that stood for many years, and are still considered as records by a @trailblazers rookie.
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LeRoy Ellis scored 29 points and led all players with 18 rebounds. The Blazers had four players in double figures in rebounding with his starting front court mates Gary Gregor grabbing 13 and Ron Knight getting 10 more. Dale Schlueter came off the bench to grab 10 more. The Blazers ended the home part of their schedule with 18 wins and 12 defeats. The Blazers, prior to a recent 9-game losing streak, were on pace to potentially tie the Chicago Bulls as the most successful expansion team but with 2 more wins they will set the record with the second most wins. The Milwaukee Bucks, with 27 wins in their expansion season, stand as the second best.
March 20
March 21
CLEVELAND -
March 23
Geoff Petrie scored a game-high 37 points in the Blazers 114-112 over the Cleveland Cavaliers to close their expansion season. The Blazers end the season with a 5-game win streak and bring their record to 29-53, the second highest win total for an expansion team, behind the Chicago Bulls record of 33 wins.
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Exactly one year to the day after being chosen as the Portland Trail Blazers first choice in the NBA Draft, Petrie finished his rookie season with 2,031 points and became the 7th player to get more than 2,000 points. Petrie is only the 2nd rookie guard to score over 2,000 points. The first was Oscar Robertson.
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March 27
The Blazers traded Jim Barnett to the San Francisco Warriors today for two draft choices in the coming 1971 NBA Draft, which will be conducted on March 29, and a draft choice in the 1972 Draft.
March 29
The Blazers drafted UCLA Bruin Sidney Wicks with the 2nd pick in the 1971 NBA Draft.
Wicks was thought to be the consensus #1 pick and experts had expected the Cleveland Cavaliers to draft him after Artis Gilmore, had opted to play in the ABA with the Kentucky Colonels prior to the draft. In a surprise move though, the Cavaliers instead chose Austin Carr from the University of Notre Dame, creating the opening for Portland to select Sidney Wicks from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Three players selected in this draft by Portland played with team besides Wicks. Charlie Yelverton from Fordham was selected in the 2nd round (25th selection) with a pick that came from the San Francisco Warriors in the recent Jim Barnett trade. Yelverton played with the Blazers during the 1971/72 season before continuing to play overseas. With another pick from the Warriors selected William Smith from from Syracuse University with the 42nd pick in the 3rd round. Smith showed great promise until a knee injury 22 games into his rookie season put him on the sidelines. He attempted a comeback in the 1972/73 season but retired after only 30 total games played.
Wicks was thought to be the consensus #1 pick and experts had expected the Cleveland Cavaliers to draft him after Artis Gilmore, had opted to play in the ABA with the Kentucky Colonels prior to the draft. In a surprise move though, the Cavaliers instead chose Austin Carr from the University of Notre Dame, creating the opening for Portland to select Sidney Wicks from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Three players selected in this draft by Portland played with team besides Wicks. Charlie Yelverton from Fordham was selected in the 2nd round (25th selection) with a pick that came from the San Francisco Warriors in the recent Jim Barnett trade. Yelverton played with the Blazers during the 1971/72 season before continuing to play overseas. With another pick from the Warriors selected William Smith from from Syracuse University with the 42nd pick in the 3rd round. Smith showed great promise until a knee injury 22 games into his rookie season put him on the sidelines. He attempted a comeback in the 1972/73 season but retired after only 30 total games played.
What wasn't known at the time was that the Blazers got creative and ended up with the #1 pick in the draft even though they had the #2 pick. How? Everybody suspected Cleveland was going to take UCLA superstar Sidney Wicks with the first pick after Artis Gilmore signed with the rival ABA, so the Blazers made the Cavs an offer they couldn’t refuse. The Blazers paid the Cavaliers $250,000 to select Austin Carr instead of Wicks, and Cleveland being Cleveland took the deal. The Blazers selected Wicks and then watched him become an All-Star and lead the team in scoring (22 points and 10 boards a game) on his way to a Rookie of the Year award.
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Also selected in the 3rd round was Larry Steele for the University of Kentucky. Steele played 9 seasons with the Blazers before retiring in 1980 due to injuries. Upon retiring in 1980, Steele was the Blazers All-time leader in Games played (610 games) Personal Fouls (1,832) and Steals (846) and was ranked in the Top-10 in Minutes Played, Field Goals Made and Attempted, Free Throws Made and Attempted, Rebounds, Assists, and Points. He continues to be in Top-10 in Games Played, Personal Fouls, Steals, and Assists.
Steele led the NBA in steals during the 1973–74 NBA season, the first year steals were recorded by the league with 2.68 per game. He became the 1st Blazer to lead the NBA in a category and continued to be ranked in the top-10 for steals during the 1974/75 and 1975/76 as well. His number 15 was retired in 1981. |
Four additional players from this draft played for Portland in future years. Dave Wohl from University of Pennsylvania and Charlie Davis from Wake Forest University each played with Portland during the 1972/73 season. Dennis Layton from University of Southern California played for Portland during the 1973/74 season and Tom Owens from University of South Carolina played with Portland from the 1977/78 thru the 1980/81 season.
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