November 29, 1977
PORTLAND — The Blazers continued to shot at an NBA record pace and the Phoenix Suns suffered with a 108-96 loss to record their 16th win of the season. “They showed a lot of tenacity, pressured well on defense and moved well on the fast break,” said Suns coach John MacLeod. The Blazers are shooting at a .512 through 19 games, which would be a record if carried through the season. The Blazers have outshot all opponents this season. “We work hard to get those shots by moving the ball and moving our bodies,” said Lloyd Neal. “If we keep doing that, there is no reason why we can’t keep shooting a high percentage.” |
After the Suns scored the first basket of the game, Portland reeled off 13 straight points to get to a 13-2 lead after four and a half minutes were played. Phoenix was able to recoup behind Paul Westphal and rookie Walter Davis to get to within 26-24 as the first quarter ended. The Suns recovered the lead at 32-30 before the Blazers reeled off 10 straight points to get to 40-32 with under seven minutes remaining in the second and held on to lead 52-44 at halftime, despite 20 turnovers at that point. The Suns continued to attack the Blazers, pulling to within a single point three times in the third quarter, the last at 64-63 before finally pulling away in the fourth quarter.
Davis and Westphal led the Suns with 25 points each with both players connecting on 10 field goals each. “He’s a good player and a good shot,” said Bob Gross who spent most of the game trying to defend Davis. Only one other Sun in double digits with Don Buse getting 10 points. Garfield Heard led Phoenix with 14 rebounds while missing all six field goal attempts with former Rookie of the Year Alvin Adams pulling down 10 rebounds and scoring eight points on 3-13 shooting. “Bill (Walton) did an outstanding job against Adams,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. “Adams is a fine shooter and he can score, but he was hesitant against Bill and seemed to be worried about the blocked shot.” The Blazers were led by Bill Walton with his 23 points and 17 rebounds. Lloyd Neal scored 21 points in his starting role with Gross getting 14 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Dave Twardzik added 11 points with Lionel Hollins and Johnny Davis each getting 10 points. The Blazers had 20 turnovers in the first half but finished with 29 for the game. Maurice Lucas, suffering from an acute case of bronchitis, appeared for the first time in five games and finished with three points in 12 minutes of action. He is expected to play more when the Blazers face the Suns in a rematch in Phoenix on December 2nd. Portland currently has a six-game winning streak with the club record being seven games in the 1975/76 season. |
November 27, 1977
LOS ANGELES — Lloyd Neal may make it hard for Maurice Lucas to get his starting position back based on his play this evening. Neal tied his career high with 33 points in the Blazers 100-93 victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles. “I was just moving and getting open,” said Neal. “On this team, any player can get a lot of points on a given night. Tonight I was the one.” Neal, who twice before had scored 33 points in his career, made 15 of his 21 attempts in 36 minutes of play. Most of Neal’s baskets were laying or short jumpers. |
The Blazers and Lakers traded baskets for most of the first half, with the Blazers leading at the half 51-45 as Neal scored 23 points. The Lakers, playing without Kareem Abdul-Jabber, were able to stay close and twice moved ahead of the Blazers in third quarter before Portland moved ahead 72-70 after three quarters. When Tom Owens hit a free throw to break a 72-72 tie, the Blazers moved ahead to stay though Los Angeles made a comeback late in the fourth quarter. Earl Tatum led a mini-Laker comeback to get Los Angeles to within a bucket with 3:20 remaining at 91-89. The Blazers were able to hold on in the last few minutes, scoring nine straight points to get to 100-89 with under a minute left. “It was nice the way we played in the last three minutes,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. “We used the clock well.”
The Lakers were led by Tatum as he scored 25 points with Norm Nixon chipping in 15. Jamaal Wilkes and James Edwards each added 13 points. Edwards, a rookie center from the University of Washington, started in place of Abdul-Jabber and grabbed 17 rebounds while also blocking four shots.
Besides tying his career high, Neal added seven rebounds with bench players Johnny Davis and Tom Owens each getting 13 points. Bill Walton was the only other Blazer in double figures with 12 points. Walton led the Blazers in rebounding with 17 boards and dished for seven assists. Bob Gross and Dave Twardzik also passed off with seven assists each with Gross grabbing nine rebounds. The win moves the Blazers to 15-3 and have five games in a row. The Blazers play the Phoenix Suns in two days hence before embarking on a five-game road trip.
The Lakers were led by Tatum as he scored 25 points with Norm Nixon chipping in 15. Jamaal Wilkes and James Edwards each added 13 points. Edwards, a rookie center from the University of Washington, started in place of Abdul-Jabber and grabbed 17 rebounds while also blocking four shots.
Besides tying his career high, Neal added seven rebounds with bench players Johnny Davis and Tom Owens each getting 13 points. Bill Walton was the only other Blazer in double figures with 12 points. Walton led the Blazers in rebounding with 17 boards and dished for seven assists. Bob Gross and Dave Twardzik also passed off with seven assists each with Gross grabbing nine rebounds. The win moves the Blazers to 15-3 and have five games in a row. The Blazers play the Phoenix Suns in two days hence before embarking on a five-game road trip.
November 26, 1977
Bill Walton led the Blazers with 12 points in the opening quarter but Portland shot .357 in the first quarter while the Nets were able to connection nearly half their shots to lead 26-22. The Nets moved to a six point advantage, 32-26, in the opening minutes of the second quarter before the Blazers went on a 15 point run, with Steele responsible for 11 of the 15 points as he scored nine and passed for an assist to Davis. The bench trio sank 10 of 17 shots in the first half alone. “We wanted to run the plays well and play good defense,” said Steele with Davis adding, “We wanted to pick up the tempo.” When the Portland regulars entered the game, the Nets rallied to close to 49-47 by halftime. The Nets Bob Carrington hit the first shot of the second half to tie the score but quick baskets by Bob Gross and Dave Twardzik sent the Blazers up for good. Twice the Blazers led by 13 points in the third quarter and three times they led by 16 points in the final quarter, yet still the Nets were able to mount a comeback before Walton scored eight points in two minutes to give the Blazers a 104-91 lead with four minutes remaining. “Bill Walton is a clinic on basketball,” said New Jersey coach Kevin Loughery. “I know it’s early in his career but he already is one of the best players ever to play the game.” |
PORTLAND — On paper the defending NBA Champions should easily defeat the worst team in the league, especially within the friendly confines of the Memorial Coliseum, but the Blazers needed help from their much deeper bench to secure the 114-102 win against the New Jersey Nets. “The first unit was lethargic and sluggish,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. “The second unit came in and did a fine job. We got big games from Johnny (Davis), Corky (Calhoun) and Larry (Steele). That’s what wins games, good play from the bench.” The play of Davis, Calhoun and Steele combined for 43 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and helped the Blazers bench outscore the Nets 47-15. |
The Nets, 2-16 on the season, were led by rookie Bernard King, who scored 28 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. “Offensively he’s got all the tools.” said Loughery of King He’s a good shooter; his passing game is sound and he hits the boards” Kevin Porter, who is ranked third in the NBA in assists with a 7.4 average, dished for seven assists this evening and added 20 points. George Johnson, who leads the NBA in blocked shots with a 3.93 average, blocked six Blazer shots while also adding 11 points and 16 rebounds. All five Nets starters scored in double figures but as coach Loughery noted, “We are a three quarter ball club. Because of our lack of depth we have been folding in the fourth period.”
Bill Walton finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Next in the scoring was Davis with 16 points, Calhoun with 14 and Steele with 13. Lloyd Neal, again starting in place of Maurice Lucas, scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds. The win is the fourth in a row for the Blazers and the 29th straight over the two seasons. The 12,666 makes for the Blazers 25th home sellout. Blazer officials have said the next five games are also soldout.
Bill Walton finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Next in the scoring was Davis with 16 points, Calhoun with 14 and Steele with 13. Lloyd Neal, again starting in place of Maurice Lucas, scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds. The win is the fourth in a row for the Blazers and the 29th straight over the two seasons. The 12,666 makes for the Blazers 25th home sellout. Blazer officials have said the next five games are also soldout.
November 23, 1977
PORTLAND — To a man, the toughest playoff series last season was the three game set against the Chicago Bulls. Tonights game, might as well have been game four as the Blazers jumped early and held off repeated late game rallies to defeat the Bulls 116-111. “They are trying to run more, but they are not much different then last season,” said Blazer assistant coach Jack McKinney. “They are a solid team.” The win gives the Blazers a 13-3 record. |
Running was key in the first quarter with the Bulls as center Artis Gilmore provided 10 points in the opening stanza, leaving Chicago only a bucket behind with the Blazers up 29-27. Gilmore was held scoreless in the second quarter and the Blazers were able to get to a 54-43 halftime lead with their benching providing 22 points in the first half alone. The Blazers continued to dominate in the second half, getting to a 17 point lead before Wilbur Holland and Mickey Johnson pulled Chicago to within 101-98 with 4:36 remaining. Portland countered with two buckets before the Bulls scored two more buckets to pull within 105-102. Portland was able to counter each Chicago basket before pulling away at the end. “It was a good win for us,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. “Chicago is playing as well as it did in the playoffs.”
Holland finished the game leading all scorers with 27 points with Johnson right behind with 25 points. Combined, Holland and Johnson shot 21 of 40 from the field. Johnson finished with 11 rebounds while Gilmore finished with 12 rebounds. Despite the hot hand in the first quarter, Gilmore ended the game with 16 points. “We wanted to keep the ball away from Gilmore in the low post,” said Ramsey conceding that defense opened the game for Holland. “However when you do that you make yourself vulnerable to penetration” |
Portland played nine players this evening with Bill Walton leading the way with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Bob Gross tallied 18 with Lionel Hollins adding 15 points and a career high 11 assists. Lloyd Neal started in place of Maurice Lucas who has an acute case of bronchitis and added 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Eight of the nine Blazers scored in double digits with only Tom Owens below ten points.
November 20, 1977
PORTLAND — Bill Walton gave his usual performance but it was the play of the 11th man, Corky Calhoun, that made the difference in the Blazers 118-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons. “Bill’s offensive game was great and Corky just did a great job for us.” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey, referring to Calhoun’s season high 24 points, 17 in the second half when the Blazers broke the game open. The win is the Blazers 27th straight home victory dating back to last season, including the playoffs. |
The Pistons entered the game missing their two big men Bob Lanier and Marvin Barnes, both out with injuries and limited to nine active players. “It’s hard to go with nine guys, especially when you are playing your third game in three nights,” said Pistons coach Herb Brown. However the Blazers didn’t seem to be the same team that won a decisive 42 point victory yesterday and the Pistons attacked early, leading by two 32-30 after the first 12 minutes and tied 54-54 at halftime. Detroit moved ahead early in the third quarter, 64-58, before Blazer guards Lionel Hollins and Dave Twardzik put the clamps down on the Pistons guards. “We began trapping them and playing a little scatter ball to get them out of their offense,” said Hollins. The game plan worked as the Blazers went on a 19-4 run to take a 77-68 lead with 3:41 left and the Pistons fell apart. “Ramsey pulled a good one,” said Brown. “He pressured our guards and got us disorganized for awhile.”
Ralph Simpson and Leon Douglas led the Pistons with 22 points each while Eric Money added 20 points. Douglas started in place of Lanier and pulled down nine rebounds while Willie Norwood had 10 points and seven rebounds in place of Barnes. M.L. Carr led the Pistons with 10 rebounds. The Pistons out-rebounded the Blazers 46 to 33 but committed nine more turnovers than Portland (27-18) and had eight fewer steals (15-7) which led to their second half woes. Walton finished the game with 32 points in 34 minutes while Calhoun had his 24 points in 28 minutes while only missing one field goal in 12 attempts. Calhoun was one point off his career high of 25 points. His previous high point total with Portland was 16 points. Calhoun was rumored to be the Blazer cut when the team had to reduce the roster to 11 but was spared when Wally Walker was traded to Seattle. “Did I feel pressure before we got down to our 11-man roster?” said Calhoun. “Let’s just say I’m relieved and more relaxed now.” Hollins had 16 points and Larry Steele had 12 points off the bench. No Blazer had more than the eight rebounds that Bob Gross grabbed and Calhoun recorded the only block in the game. |
November 19, 1977
PORTLAND — The saying that records are made to be broken was amended this evening as the Blazers set many records in their 109-67 drubbing of the Cleveland Cavaliers. “We’re not looking for records, but we played a great game,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. The 67 points is the lowest ever by a Portland opponent, 10 points fewer than previous record of 77 held by Chicago and equaled by Philadelphia. The Blazers held the Cavs to .267 shooting which breaks the previous low of .292 by Boston in 1976. The 27 field goals and 10 points in the third quarter also are all-time lows by an opponent. |
Similar to their first meeting last season, the game was billed as the meeting of the two best teams in the NBA. The Cavs entered the game riding a seven game winning streak and sported a 9-4 record, the best in the Eastern Conference and the second best in the league behind the Blazers 10-3. For the first three minutes the teams traded baskets and were tied 9-9 before Bill Walton broke the tie on a left handed drive to the basket. From that point on, the Blazers rolled as the jumped to a 32-20 first quarter lead, then 60-34 at halftime and finally 83-44 after three quarters. “Against teams like Cleveland, you have to establish the tempo,” said Ramsey. “It was especially important for us tonight because we were short-handed.” The Blazers were without Maurice Lucas, who stayed home due to bronchitis while Lionel Hollins and Bob Gross both played with nagging injuries.
Once they fell behind early, the Cavaliers struggled to get back to even and only made the game worse as they played a more on-on-one game instead of the team game they are known for. For the game, the Cavs finished with seven assists total with no one having a second assist personally. Only one player finished the game making half of his shots and that was Elmore Smith who was 3-6 from the field, who finished with eight points and seven rebounds. Campy Russell and Jim Chones were the leading scorers for Cleveland, each with 12 points but shot a combined 10-32. Austin Carr adding 11points off the bench as he played for Walt Frazier who injured his foot in the first half and went to the hospital at halftime. The injury was diagnosed as a strained ligaments in his foot. “I hope he’s all right,” said Walton. “It really has been nice this season to see Frazier, one of the game’s greats doing so well with his new team.” Frazier was acquired last month as compensation for the New York Knicks signing former Cavalier Jim Cleamons. Larry Steele and Tom Owens each tallied 17 points off the bench to lead the Blazers in scoring with Owens pulling down 12 rebounds as well. Dave Twardzik added 15 points and continued his torrid shooting making 5 of his 6 attempts. Johnny Davis came off the bench to score 14 points, hitting 8 of 11 free throws. Lloyd Neal, played 31 minutes starting in place of Lucas, and Bill Walton each recorded 10 points and had 13 and 16 rebounds respectively. “It would be bad for me to go 30 minutes every night,” said Neal who still nurses knee issues dating back to last summer. Neal has only played more than 20 minutes in one other game this season. |
November 16, 1977
INDIANAPOLIS — Finishing a four-game road trip with a 3-1 record appeared to be in order for the Blazers until the second half of this evenings game with the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers were able to overcome a 12-point deficit in the third quarter to claim a 111-104 victory over the Blazers as three Pacer scored more than 20 points each. “You just about have to play a perfect game to beat them and we are thrilled,” said Indiana coach Bob Leonard. The loss is only the third for the 10-3 Blazers while Indiana is 5-8 on the season. |
The Blazers played strong defense in denying the Pacers to run in the first half, building off their 22-21 first quarter lead to get to a 10-point halftime advantage at 55-45. The third quarter saw the Blazers continue to build their lead however the game changed with the Blazers up 66-57 with 5:03 remaining in the third. The Pacers scored nine straight points to tie the game a 66-66 as the Blazers struggled with the ball, committing turnovers as well as missing four shots in that time span. Portland was able to stop the Pacer run for a short time before another eight point outburst put Indiana up 74-70. The Blazers got back to a 76-76 tie but was never able to regain the lead and played catchup the rest of the way. The closest the Blazers came was with 2:02 remaining and down a bucket at 99-97. Bob Gross lobbed a pass to Walton that would have tied the game but Walton was to far under the basket to connect. Indiana was able to recover to push the lead to 103-97 and the game was out of reach for the Blazers. “We had a streak of turnovers and some defensive breakdowns,” said Larry Steele. “They got momentum. All of a sudden we were the ones fighting back.”
Indiana was led by Dan Roundfield who scored 12 points in the final period and finished with 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds off the bench. Adrian Dantley added 26 points and nine rebounds while Rickey Sobers added 20 points while playing all 48 minutes. Johnny Neumann added 10 points off the bench during the Pacers run before settling back to the bench late. John Williamson, who leads the Pacers with a 23.8 point per game average, scored only four points in 17 minutes of play before showering at halftime and leaving the game with no explanation to Leonard. “I have no comment now,” said Leonard after the game. “I don’t know whether Williamson will be at practice tomorrow but I will know then what his status will be with us.” The Blazers were led by Steele who scored 21 points on 9-12 shooting in his first starting role this season, replacing Lionel Hollins who was out with a bruised foot. Bill Walton added 20 points and a dozen rebounds while Maurice Lucas pulled down 13 boards. Lucas again has lost his shooting touch, shooting 3-16 today after going 8-17 yesterday. The Blazers return home for four games starting on Nov. 19 against Cleveland. |
November 15, 1977
MILWAUKEE — Bill Walton made up for his late game miscues when he hit a short hook shot with 36 seconds remaining to give the Blazers a 109-106 road victory at Milwaukee. “it wouldn’t have been that close if I hadn’t made those three or four turnovers,” said Walton. The win is only the second time the Blazers have won in Milwaukee in 19 games. The Blazers only other win in Milwaukee was 113-97 on November 1, 1975. The win gives the Blazers a 10-2 as they become the first team to win 10 games this season. Portland, which has three road victories in their five games plays the Indiana Pacers tomorrow. |
Most of the action in the first half tilted towards the Bucks as they jumped to an early lead, topping the Blazers 26-24 after the first quarter and slowly increased their lead prior to halftime. Only an 11 point run by Walton in the final minutes got the Blazers to within five points, 61-56, of Milwaukee as the first half ended. In the third quarter the Blazers finally found their game when Blazer coach Jack Ramsey used the reserve lineup of Lloyd Neal, Larry Steele, T.R. Dunn, Johnny Davis and Tom Owens. That group turned the game around and built up a 95-88 advantage with just under seven minutes remaining. “Then I came back in and messed things up,” said Walton.
November 12, 1977
HOUSTON — The Blazers six game winning streak came to a screeching halt as Rudy Tomjanovich hit the winning basket with three-seconds remaining to give the Rockets a 104-102 victory this evening. “It was not a good percentage shot,” said Tomjanovich who was defended by Corky Calhoun. “You couldn’t fault Calhoun because he was right on me.” The shot was needed as the Blazers had just tied the game only seconds before when Lionel Hollins connected from the top of the key to tie the closely fought game. |
The Blazers started the game as if they were still playing in Atlanta, jumping to a quick seven point lead in the first quarter before settling to a 27-22 lead at the quarter break. The Blazers held serve at halftime with a 47-45 lead before the Rockets started to pull ahead. Houston was able to secure 26 offensive rebounds overall, providing for the Rockets to get to ahead at the end of the third quarter, 80-78, and to build to a ten-point lead late in the fourth quarter. The Blazers made one last push and took the lead at 100-98 with 1:48 to go on a Bill Walton 12-foot jumper. Tomjanovich tied the game at 100-100 before a controversial call by referee Bill Saar on Maurice Lucas.
With 17 seconds remaining and the score tied, Lucas blocked a shot by Mike Newlin along the baseline but was whistled for the foul. Both Lucas and coach Jack Ramsey argued to no avail. While the referee was reporting the foul and dealing with the Blazer players, the crowd of 13,214 at The Summit was able to watch a replay of the call on the giant overhead TV and could see a clear block by Lucas with no contact. Newlin calmly sank the two free throws, putting the Rockets up 102-100. Soon after, Hollins and Tomjanovich each scored their respective baskets before getting the final score.
The Rockets leading scorer this evening was Newlin who put up 25 points while Tomjanovich added 20 points. John Lucas, the first pick in last years NBA Draft added 18 points and dished 12 assists. Former Blazer Moses Malone added 15 points and 17 total rebounds, 12 of which were offensive and Ramsey saluted him saying Malone was a “great offensive rebounder.” The Rockets out rebounded the Blazers by a 54-40 edge.
Bill Walton led the Blazers with 31 points and 12 rebounds but no other Blazer scored more than the 15 points by Johnny Davis. Lucas had 14 points while Bob Gross and Lionel Hollins each scored 13 points. The Blazers have two days off before playing Milwaukee on Nov. 15 and then Indiana the next day before returning home for a game on November 19 versus Cleveland
With 17 seconds remaining and the score tied, Lucas blocked a shot by Mike Newlin along the baseline but was whistled for the foul. Both Lucas and coach Jack Ramsey argued to no avail. While the referee was reporting the foul and dealing with the Blazer players, the crowd of 13,214 at The Summit was able to watch a replay of the call on the giant overhead TV and could see a clear block by Lucas with no contact. Newlin calmly sank the two free throws, putting the Rockets up 102-100. Soon after, Hollins and Tomjanovich each scored their respective baskets before getting the final score.
The Rockets leading scorer this evening was Newlin who put up 25 points while Tomjanovich added 20 points. John Lucas, the first pick in last years NBA Draft added 18 points and dished 12 assists. Former Blazer Moses Malone added 15 points and 17 total rebounds, 12 of which were offensive and Ramsey saluted him saying Malone was a “great offensive rebounder.” The Rockets out rebounded the Blazers by a 54-40 edge.
Bill Walton led the Blazers with 31 points and 12 rebounds but no other Blazer scored more than the 15 points by Johnny Davis. Lucas had 14 points while Bob Gross and Lionel Hollins each scored 13 points. The Blazers have two days off before playing Milwaukee on Nov. 15 and then Indiana the next day before returning home for a game on November 19 versus Cleveland
November 11, 1977
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks owner Ted Turner’s apology during a pregame ceremony had nothing to do with the game about to be played but Hawk coach Hubie Browns’ apology after the Blazers 132-92 romp was real. “We as a team, would like to apologize to the city of Atlanta for a totally flat performance,” said Brown. “We are truly embarrassed to have played so poorly in front of a sellout crowd.” The crowd of 15,457 was there to witness the two best teams in the NBA as each team entered the game with 8-1 records but left witnessing a beatdown of the home club. “We played as well as we can play at both ends of the court,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. The teams played at a relatively even pace after Turner was honored beforehand regarding his Americas Cup sailboat race victory this past September. Several speeches were made before Turner made his apology to “both teams for having to put up with all this b.s.” Even though the Blazers had a 33-23 lead after the first quarter, Atlanta quickly countered by scoring eight straight to open the second quarter to pull within a bucket at 33-31 before Maurice Lucas scored 10 points the rest of the half to help Portland to again their 10 point lead at halftime 62-52. The Blazers started to break the game open in the third quarter, leading 79-64 with 6:04 remaining before starting a 21-2 run that gave the road team a 100-66 lead entering the final quarter. The win moves the Blazers to 9-1, their best 10 game record in franchise history. The Hawks were led by John Drew as he scored 24 points while front court mate John Brown chipped in 17 points. Former Blazer Steve Hawes had 12 points but had a dismal shooting evening as he was 6-17 from the field. The only other Hawk player to score more than 10 points was rookie guard Eddie Johnson who tallied 11 points off the bench. The Hawks attempted only one less field goal than the Blazers for the game (83 to 84) but tallied 17 less makes than Portland. |
Bill Walton vs the Atlanta Hawks
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The Blazers were led by Bill Walton who had 27 points and 15 rebounds while Maurice Lucas added 21 points. Bob Gross scored 18 points in his 17 minutes of action while Lionel Hollins, Dave Twardzik, Lloyd Neal and Johnny Davis all had 10 points each. The 40 point margin is the largest road victory in the franchise history surpassing the 18 point margin the Blazers have had three previous times. The win is the 3rd largest in team history, behind the 44 point victory over the Boston Celtics (128-84) and the 42 point victory over the Philadelphia 76ers (146-104), both games which occurred last season.
Prior to the game, the Blazers traded 2nd year forward Wally Walker to the Seattle SuperSonics to get to the NBA required 11 man roster. “It was a difficult decision but something had to be done,” said Ramsey. “Our problem simply was that we had three quality players at one position. Wally became the player we could afford to drop.” The Blazers will receive a first round pick in either the 1978 or 1979 draft and a second round pick in the 1979 draft.
Prior to the game, the Blazers traded 2nd year forward Wally Walker to the Seattle SuperSonics to get to the NBA required 11 man roster. “It was a difficult decision but something had to be done,” said Ramsey. “Our problem simply was that we had three quality players at one position. Wally became the player we could afford to drop.” The Blazers will receive a first round pick in either the 1978 or 1979 draft and a second round pick in the 1979 draft.
November 8, 1977
PORTLAND — Maurice Lucas, mired in a shooting slump, found his touch in the first minutes of the Blazers 130-104 thumping of the Kansas City Kings. Lucas had been shooting .309 from the field on the season before this evening start where he finished 7-10. “I don’t know what the difference was,” said Lucas. “I did all the same things but the shots just started to go in tonight.” The win moves the Blazers to 8-1, their best start in franchise history after nine games, besting the 7-2 start last season. The 26 point victory against the Kings was the widest margin of victory against in 33 previous games. |
Lucas and his front court mate Bob Gross combined for the Blazers first 19 points, leading the Blazers to a 31-24 first quarter lead before Kansas City made a minor run after the quarter break. The Kings outscored the Blazers 20-12 to start the second quarter to get their only lead in the game at 44-43 lead before the Blazers ripped off 12 straight points led by Lionel Hollins to put the Kings away. “If you can run that way on Kansas City, you can run on anyone,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey, who noted the Kings like to play a slow down style, adding “They are a tough team to run on.” The Blazers continued to run in the second half, twice getting to 32 point leads in the fourth quarter as they benched dominated the playing time in the fourth quarter. No Blazer starter played more than the 29 minutes that Hollins played.
Kansas City was led by former Benson High School star player Richard Washington who scored 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds, despite his shooting hand bandaged for a pinched nerve. “I grew up in Portland, the Blazers are world champions and I’ll be playing against Maurice Lucas,” said Washington before the game. “That gives me all the inspiration I need to do my best.” Kings guard Ron Boone added 17 points while Scott Wedman had 16. The Kings rookie guard Otis Birdsong, the second player chosen in the 1977 NBA draft, finished with 13 points. Blazer assistant coach Jack McKinney praised Birdsong saying that “In time he’ll be one of the great pure shooters in the league.”
Kansas City was led by former Benson High School star player Richard Washington who scored 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds, despite his shooting hand bandaged for a pinched nerve. “I grew up in Portland, the Blazers are world champions and I’ll be playing against Maurice Lucas,” said Washington before the game. “That gives me all the inspiration I need to do my best.” Kings guard Ron Boone added 17 points while Scott Wedman had 16. The Kings rookie guard Otis Birdsong, the second player chosen in the 1977 NBA draft, finished with 13 points. Blazer assistant coach Jack McKinney praised Birdsong saying that “In time he’ll be one of the great pure shooters in the league.”
Eight Blazers scored double digits with Lucas leading the way with 20 points in 22 minutes and pulling down seven rebounds. The frontline for the Blazers had Gross adding 16 points and Bill Walton adding 10 points. Lionel Hollins and bench players Johnny Davis and Tom Owens all contributed 14 points. Owens led the Blazers with nine rebounds, with Hollins and Dave Twardzik each passing for six assists. The Blazers are off for the next two days before a four-game, six day road trip starting in Atlanta.
November 6, 1977
PORTLAND — Blazer guard Dave Twardzik was nearly perfect in this evenings 108-106 win against the visiting Indiana Pacers as he led Portland with 22 points. Twardzik was a perfect 8-8 from the field and 6-7 from the free throw line. “It’s nice but I’m doing the same thing as always,” said Twardzik who recorded the first basket of the game before helping the Blazers seal the win late in the game with a free throw. Indiana coach Bob Leonard noted the difference between Twardzik in the ABA and now with the Blazers said, “He’s always been a great competitor. He’s playing on a great club now and he makes things happen.” The win moves the Blazers to 7-1 on the season.
For the second game in a row, the Blazers jumped to early double digit leads including a 33-22 lead after the end of the first quarter. Indiana struggled with their offense in the first half before finally getting their offense going in the second half as Adrian Dantley scored 20 points to make the game close at the end in the final minutes. The teams entered the final quarter with the Blazers up 86-76 before the Pacers battled back to within a bucket at 99-97 with 4:30 to go. Lionel Hollins hit a jumper and Bob Gross added to free throws to push the Blazers to 103-97 with under four minutes remaining. The teams traded baskets before Dan Roundfield scored on a three-point play to pull the Pacers into with a bucket with 21 seconds remaining. The Blazers went into a stall and played keep away from the Pacers to end the game. For the second game in a row, the Blazers jumped to early double digit leads including a 33-22 lead after the end of the first quarter. Indiana struggled with their offense in the first half before finally getting their offense going in the second half as Adrian Dantley scored 20 points to make the game close at the end in the final minutes. “I want the ball in those kind of situations,” said Dantley. The teams entered the final quarter with the Blazers up 86-76 before the Pacers battled back to within a bucket at 99-97 with 4:30 to go. Lionel Hollins hit a jumper and Bob Gross added to free throws to push the Blazers to 103-97 with under four minutes remaining. The teams traded baskets before Dan Roundfield scored on a three-point play to pull the Pacers into with a bucket with 21 seconds remaining. The Blazers went into a stall and played keep away from the Pacers to end the game. |
Twardzik added seven assists to his 22 points and has moved into leading the NBA in field goal accuracy with a .745 shooting percentage (38-51 on the season) and has only missed two shots in the last four games, going 18 for 20. Bill Walton had 21 points and 14 rebounds. Walton added six assists and four blocked shots. Bob Gross was the only other starter with double digit scoring with 12 points while bench players Larry Steele (12 points), Johnny Davis (11) and Lloyd Neal (10) all scored more than ten points. Maurice Lucas finished with 11 rebounds and nine points.
The Blazers victory is their 24th straight win at home dating back to last season as they won their last eight regular season games and 10 playoff games before the six games played this season. The Blazers crowd of 12,666 is the cap the team has put on tickets for the season and is the 20th straight sellout. Portland has one more home game, November 8 versus Kansas City, before going on a four game, six day road trip.
The Blazers victory is their 24th straight win at home dating back to last season as they won their last eight regular season games and 10 playoff games before the six games played this season. The Blazers crowd of 12,666 is the cap the team has put on tickets for the season and is the 20th straight sellout. Portland has one more home game, November 8 versus Kansas City, before going on a four game, six day road trip.
November 5, 1977
PORTLAND — For the second year in a row, the Blazers played a home game before a sellout crowd on Bill Walton’s birthday and came away with a win, this time a 116-94 victory over division rival Seattle Super Sonics. “Bill’s birthday must be a good omen,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. Walton smiled after the game and added, “I’ll be happy to have us blow somebody out every year on my birthday.” The crowd of 12,666 was the 19th consecutive sellout at the Memorial Coliseum and was the 23rd straight home victory for Portland. |
The Blazers, who never trailed in the game, jumped to quick leads in the first quarter curtesy of 11 Sonic turnovers, jumped to early double digits leads before settling to a 31-17 first quarter lead behind Maurice Lucas’ 10 points. “My game is coming on,” said Lucas who finished with 14 points in 30 minutes, the most of any Blazer starter. Bob Gross and Lionel Hollins were the only other starters with double digits scoring 12 and 13 points respectively. “Our defense got us going,” said Gross. “It created a lot of fast breaks for us off of their mistakes.” The Blazers continued to run in the second half getting to a lead of 31 points before a minor comeback by the Sonics to close the score to final 22 point margin.
Seattle, currently 2-9 under new coach Bob Hopkins, was led by their center Marvin Webster who tallied 23 points and 19 rebounds. Webster and forward Paul Silas are two of the four new players for the Sonics coming from the Denver Nuggets in an off-season trade to bolster the frontline. Bruce Seals added 14 points while former Blazer John Johnson added 13 points off the bench. Johnson was acquired from the Houston Rockets two weeks ago after an initial trade by the Rockets to the Boston Celtics fell through. The Blazers were led by backup center Tom Owens NBA career high 25 points. “Tom played very well. I was pleased to see it,” said Walton. Owens career high in the ABA was 41 points but noted “I just didn’t get to play that many minutes last year at Houston,” referring to last season with the Rockets. Owens shot 10-12 from the field and only missed one free throw attempt while adding five rebounds. Bench mate Johnny Davis added 13 points. |
November 1, 1977
PORTLAND — As has been the custom in this young season, the Blazers struggled early before finally being able to pull away from the New York Knicks late in the second half to pull off a 113-104 victory. The win, before the 18th straight sellout crowd, moves the Blazers to 5-1, the best record the team has ever had after six games. “ We need to get more crispness back in our offense,” said Blazer coach Jack Ramsey. He also added, “The Knicks shot well and executed well. But we are winning and that is important.” The Blazers have three days of rest before their next game on November 5 versus Seattle. The Blazers committed seven turnovers alone in the opening quarter leading to 11 New York points and were lucky to only be behind 29-27 at the end of the first quarter. “We can’t put our fingers on why we’re having lulls,” said Blazer reserve guard Larry Steele adding “We need to work it out before we go on the road.” The Blazers shot .385 from the field missing three layins in the opening stanza. The Knicks were able to capitalize on the mistakes getting to leads of eight points twice before the Blazers put together a mini run late in the second quarter to close the half with a 61-57 lead. The Blazers never looked back despite attempts by the Knicks to tie the game late. Earl Monroe led all scorers with 18 of his 29 points in the first half while Bob McAdoo added 25 for the Knicks followed by Spencer Haywood with 18 points, and together the trio scored 72 of the Knicks total. “They have some big guns,” said Blazer center Bill Walton. “When their big guns are going, they are tough and the big guns were going tonight.” McAdoo led the Knicks with nine rebounds and six assists. Walton led the Blazers with 23 points and 12 rebounds while Lionel Hollins added 20 points despite shooting 6-20 from the field and his backcourt mate Dave Twardzik chipped in 18 points. Larry Steele added 13 points from the bench. Bob Gross, Maurice Lucas and Lloyd Neal all contributed 10 points each and seven rebounds each. |