PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS vs. SACRAMENTO KINGS MARCH 8, 1996 Crucial date with the Kings --- The Portland Trail Blazers (26-34), entertain the Sacramento Kings in the Rose Garden Friday. The third of four matchups between the two teams this season, the contest is a big one since only one game stands between the Kings, currently holding on to the eighth and final position in the Western Conference playoff bracket, and the Blazers. Portland will be looking not only to pull even with Sacramento in the playoff scramble, but also to break a two-game Kings win streak in the series. A Portland loss would assure the Kings of winning the season series for first time since 1984-85 when the franchise was still located in Kansas City. Portland has not lost three straight to the Kings since 1974-75. The Blazers will also be looking to snap a two-game losing streak at home. Friday's probable starters --- (F) 3 CLIFFORD ROBINSON, 6-10, 21.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg; (F) 44 HARVEY GRANT, 6-9, 9.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg; (C) 24 CHRIS DUDLEY, 6-11, 5.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg; (G) 23 AARON MCKIE, 6-5, 11.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg; (G) 21 RUMEAL ROBINSON, 6-1, 7.2 ppg, 3.7 apg. The all-time series --- The Trail Blazers have a 78-46 command in their all-time series with the Kings, but Sacramento has won two in a row and four of the last five. It is only the second time the Blazers have dropped two straight to the Kings since 1988-89. Sacramento's 105-102 victory in the Rose Garden in November was its first in its last 24 visits to Portland and only the second since the franchise was moved to California from Kansas City in 1985. Portland owns a 53-9 advantage in matchups with the Kings in Portland where it hasn't lost two in a row to the Kings since 1974-75. Sacramento, with a 36-25 homecourt edge its series with the Blazers, has won two in a row in Arco Arena, after succumbing to Portland there seven times in the previous eight matchups. The Blazers and Kings this season --- The Blazers lost to Sacramento at home for the first time since 1986 in the first game on Nov. 16 then made it two losses in a row to the Kings in January. A pressure two- pointer by Mitch Richmond and a pair of free throws by Brian Grant in the final 22.4 seconds helped the Kings pull out a 105-102 win in the first game. Rod Strickland led Portland in scoring with 23 points and Richmond posted 25 for Sacramento. The Blazers shot .506 for the game and the Kings .551. In the rematch in Sacramento on Jan. 18, the Blazers, playing without their top scorers Clifford Robinson and Strickland, dropped a 105-100 decision after battling back from a 13-point first half deficit. The lead changed hands 14 times in the second half before the Kings took command, 88-86 with five minutes remaining. Richmond had 38 points to lead all scorers in the game. Aaron McKie led six Blazers in double figure scoring with 18 points. Both teams were .453 from the field in this one. In the two-game set, Portland shot .479 from the field and .579 from the free throw line, while Sacramento was .490 from the floor and .757 from the line. Houston holds off Blazers --- The Houston Rockets zeroed in on 8 of 16 three-pointers in the first half, built a 55-45 lead at intermission, then held on down the stretch to defeat Portland, 100-93, in the Rose Garden on Tuesday. It was the Blazers's second straight homecourt loss and their eighth in the last nine games. Portland was within one, 94-93 with 54.7 seconds to go but Eldridge Recasner tallied six straight points for the Rockets as the Blazers failed to score on their last four possessions. Gary Trent led five Blazers in double-figure scoring with 17 points and Arvydas Sabonis added 16. Hakeem Olajuwon led all scorers in the game with 23 points. Portland shot 46 percent from the field (38-82) to Houston's 45 percent effort (37-83), but the Rockets converted 10 of 24 three-pointers while the Blazers were making 3 of 17 from long range. Free throw shooting again cost Portland; the Blazers finished 56 percent from the line (14-25), and Houston 84 percent (16-19). Portland had a 48-36 rebounding advantage. The win gave Rockets a 2-1 edge in the season series, with the final matchup set for Houston on March 30. Crunch time here --- Seven weeks remain in the season but the stretch run has already begun in the Western Conference where six teams are in contention for the last three spots in the 1996 playoffs. Currently, nine games separate the sixth through eleventh place teams in the conference---Phoenix, Golden State, Sacramento, Portland, Denver and Dallas. The Blazers are right in the middle, currently ninth in the standings, a game back of Sacramento and five back of sixth place Phoenix. Denver is just a half game back of Portland. Attendance record falls --- After Tuesday's 11th sellout of the season, 21,401, for the Houston game, Portland's 1995-96 home attendance for 29 games jumped to 603,544. That is more than 75,000 above the franchise's previous full-season record attendance for the regular season of 528,408 reached three times from 1991 to 1994. The Blazers all-time one-season attendance mark, including playoff games, is 682,852 during the 1991-92 season when Portland went all the way to the NBA Finals against Detroit. The Blazers have averaged 20,812 in 29 dates thus far in their new Rose Garden. That's the fourth highest fan count in the NBA behind Charlotte, Chicago and Toronto. Among the leaders --- CLIFFORD ROBINSON'S 21.8 points per game average places him 12th among NBA scoring leaders and his 38.4 minutes per game is No. 18 in the league . . . ROD STRICKLAND is averaging 9.5 assists a game, third best in the NBA, his 19.3 ppg scoring average ranks him 26th in the league, he stands 22nd in steals with a 1.54 average, and his 38.4 minutes per game average is 16th highest . . . ARVYDAS SABONIS is eighth among the NBA's top field goal shooters with a .556 mark (265-477) in 53 games . . . CHRIS DUDLEY is 22nd in the NBA in rebounding with a 9.2 average and 23rd in blocked shots (1.36 per game). The Rookie Combo --- ARVYDAS SABONIS, with 707 points, and forward GARY TRENT, 474 points, make up the highest scoring Blazers rookie combination since Clifford Robinson tallied 746 points and Drazen Petrovic 583 during 1988-89, and are one of the four best Portland rookie duos in the last 18 years. The others: Sam Bowie, 758, and Steve Colter, 556, in 1984-85, and Mychal Thompson, 1,074, and Ron Brewer, 1,078, in 1978-79. Add Sabonis-Trent: Arvydas Sabonis, with the NBA's eight best field goal percentage, .556, and Trent, at .534, are Portland's two top marksmen from the floor, and are one-two in field goal accuracy among the league's rookies. Sabonis is shooting .592 from the floor in his last seven games (45-76). Trent, who had a game-high 17 points and a career-high 5 assists against Houston Tuesday, has averaged 11.0 points in his last 15 outings while burning the net at a .655 clip (72 of 110). Trail Blazing --- Nineteen of the Blazers' 34 setbacks have been by five points or less and 10 have been by three or under . . . Conversely, 19 of the Blazers 26 wins have been by 6 points or more and 12 have been by 10 points or more . . . The Blazers are 5-10 in games decided by three points or less, but 4-3 when the final margin is two points or under . . . Portland is 22-8 when leading going into the fourth quarter and 4-26 when tied or behind . . . It is 19-11 when holding the lead at halftime and 6-22 when trailing . . . The Blazers are 16-15 when leading after one quarter and 9-18 when behind . . . They are 18-9 when scoring more than 100 points and 17-11 when limiting opponents to under 100 points . . . Portland is 9-21 against teams with better than .500 records and 17-13 with teams at .500 or under . . . Portland is 11-4 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field and 15-7 when keeping opponents at 43 percent or under . . . Portland is averaging 99.1 points per game, a franchise all-time low. Coming into this season, the lowest average output for a full season was 103.1 ppg last year. Conversely, the 99.2 per game average thus far by Blazers opponents is equal to last season's best defensive effort ever when opponents averaged 99.2 ppg in 82 contests. On the boards --- Portland, one of the league's premier rebounding teams last season, is among the leaders again this year. The Blazers outrebounded Houston on Tuesday, 48-36, and has taken 53 or more off the glass in three their last eight games. In that eight-game span, they've averaged 9.2 rebounds a game better than their opponents. The Blazers rank third overall in rebounding percentage (.528), first in defensive rebounding (.730), and seventh in offensive rebounding (.325). For the season, Portland has an overall 4.3 rebounds per game advantage. Too much Shaq --- The Magic earned a split in its season series with Portland, riding a 41-point, 17-rebound performance by Shaquille O'Neal in Orlando Saturday. The loss wrote a 1-3 finish to the Blazers' four-game eastern road swing. Portland got off to a good start, leading 33-26 after one quarter. But the Magic, who won their 37th consecutive game at home, outscored Portland, 66-41, over the next two periods and went on to hand the Blazers their biggest loss of the season. Clifford Robinson topped Portland with 26 points and Rumeal Robinson chipped in with 16. The Blazers shot 40 percent from the floor (36-89) and the Magic 49 percent (41-84). Orlando had a 47-40 rebounding edge. Taking the Heat in Miami --- Portland turned in a solid team performance from wire to wire to beat the Heat in Miami, 102-88, Friday. The win snapped a three-game Blazers losing streak and gave Portland its 17th win in 18 clashes with Miami. Rumeal Robinson led five Blazers in double-figure scoring with a season-high 20 points and Arvydas Sabonis turned in another strong game with 15 points in 22 minutes, including a 6-for-8 shooting performance. Chris Dudley had 11 rebounds and Clifford Robinson and Gary Trent 10 each to lead the Blazers to a 58-38 domination on the boards. Portland connected at a 48 percent rate from the floor (37-77) while limiting Miami to a 37 percent night (31-84). The key to the game was the third quarter when the Blazers outscored the Heat, 23-10. The latter number tied Portland's all-time opponent low for the period. P.J. --- P.J. Carlesimo is in his second season as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Last year, Carlesimo guided Portland to a 44-38 record, the first coach in 25 years to have moved directly from college to a head coaching job in the pros and post a winning record in his first season. The last coach to make the successful jump in one season was Cotton Fitzsimmons, who went from Kansas State to Phoenix to guide the Suns to a 48-34 in 1970-71. Pacers on Sunday --- After Friday's important clash with the Sacramento Kings, the Blazers continue their homestand Sunday against Indiana (12 noon, KEX Radio, BlazerVision). They travel to Los Angeles Tuesday to play the Lakers (7:30 p.m., KEX Radio, KGW-TV) then play three more at home---hosting the Clippers on Feb. 15, the Mavericks on Feb. 25 and the Warriors on Feb. 28. BLAZERS PROFILES CLIFFORD ROBINSON . . . . . vs. the Rockets Tuesday: 12 points (5-15 fgs, 0-3 3pt, 2-5 fts), 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 38 minutes . . . vs. the Magic Saturday: 26 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 37 minutes---his highest point total since Jan. 31 . . . vs. the Heat Friday: 12 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 28 minutes---his fourth double- double of the season . . . Returned to action Jan. 26 vs. the Spurs to score 18 points in 25 minutes after missing the previous four games with a sprained ankle . . . Scored game-high 24 points vs. Denver Jan. 19, including 20 in the second half when he made 5-of-5 from long range that tied a club record for makes in a half . . . Selected NBA Player of the Week for week ending Jan. 7 after scoring a career-high 41 points versus Minnesota on Jan. 7 to cap a four-game string in which he averaged 28.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 2.8 assists and shot 48 percent from the field to lead the Blazers to three wins. It was the first Player of the Week honor for Robinson . . . Had 26 points, including 6 treys in the Dec. 29 loss at Charlotte . . . Just missed his first career triple-double with 16 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists in the Nov. 21 win at the Lakers . . . Attempted a career high 19 free throws in Nov. 5 win over Utah . . . Has topped Blazers in scoring 28 times in 56 games . . . Has tallied 30 or more points nine times and 20 or more 36 times . . . Ranks 12th in the NBA in scoring with a 21.8 average . . . Is averaging 38.3 minutes, 18th highest minutes per game in the league . . . Is fourth in the league in three-pointers with 148 . . . Has connected for five or more treys in seven games, four or more in 15 and three or more in 29 . . . He finished 0-for-3 from long range Feb. 17 against the Clippers, ending a string of 41 consecutive games in which he had converted at least one trey . . . Missed four games after suffering a sprained right ankle on Jan. 19 . . . Has played all but 11 of the 541 games in his career, including a team record 461 straight and is now No. 8 on the Blazers all-time games played list . . . Is second on the Blazers' all-time blocked shots list with 636 . . . Recently moved ahead of Maurice Lucas as Portland's eighth leading rebounder with 2,907 . . . Ranks in the Blazers' all-time top ten in 16 of 17 statistical categories . . . vs. Sacramento this season: vs. Sacramento this season: 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 42 minutes in the Nov. 16 game. Did not play (sprained ankle) in the Jan. 18 game in Sacramento. BUCK WILLIAMS . . . . . 1995-96 Blazers captain . . . vs. the Rockets Tuesday: 9 points (3-3 fgs, 3-4 fts), 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 16 minutes . . . vs. the Magic Saturday: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, 28 minutes . . . vs. the Heat Friday: 8 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 19 minutes . . . Recorded the 1,000th steal of his career Jan. 27 vs. Dallas . . . Tied his season high with 17 points, plus 8 rebounds, 1 steal, and season-high 46 minutes vs. the Cavs Jan. 21 . . . Scored a season high- equalling 17 points and had a game and season-high 15 rebounds vs. the Heat Jan. 10 . . . Scored a season-high 17 points at Vancouver Dec. 15 before fouling out . . . Saw his first action of the season versus Chicago Nov. 27 . . . Was activated Nov. 27 after opening the year on the injured list with torn tendons in his left thumb, missing the first 12 games this season . . . In his previous 14 years, he missed only 26 of 1,148 games and only 23 of those due to injury . . . Only the eighth player in NBA history to record 15,000 career points and 12,000 rebounds . . . Now has 15,897 points and 12,306 rebounds in 1,170 career games . . . vs. Sacramento this season: 10 points (3-4 fgs, 4-4 fts), 7 rebounds, 1 block, 28 minutes in Jan. 18 game. On injured list (torn tendons, left thumb) for Nov. 16 contest. ROD STRICKLAND . . . . . . vs. the Rockets Tuesday: Did not dress (left groin strain) . . . Last previous appearance vs. the Spurs Feb. 20: 16 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 29 minutes . . . Fouled out for the second time this season and only the eighth time in nine years in the NBA after scoring 13 points and dishing out a game-high 7 assists vs. Phoenix on Feb. 15 . . . Recorded his team-best 24th double-double of the season vs. the Warriors on Feb. 13--- 19 points, game-high 11 assists along with 7 rebounds and 4 steals . . . vs. the Spurs Jan. 26: 12 points, game-high 13 assists, 8 rebounds---the third time this year he has come up two rebounds shy of a triple-double . . . vs. the Jazz Jan. 23: Team-high 18 points, team-high 8 assists, 39 minutes in first game back after missing previous three games (broken blood vessel in his left eye suffered in Jan. 19 Denver contest) . . . vs. Denver Jan. 13: Team-high 26 points and a game-high 16 assists . . . Had season-high 18 assists along with game- high 27 points while playing 48 minutes in the OT win at Boston Jan. 3 . . . Played a career-high 50 minutes while leading the team in scoring with 22 points in the Dec. 30 OT loss at Cleveland . . . Scored a team-high 30 points at Houston Dec. 21 after having a season high 32 against the Rockets on Dec. 10 . . . Had a game-high 24 points and 11 assists at Golden State Nov. 29, scoring 13 points and going 5 of 5 from the floor and 3 of 3 from three-point range in the game's first 12 minutes . . . Has led team in assists in all but two of the 50 games he's played, and in scoring 18 times . . . Has contributed 12 or more assists in 14 games . . Is averaging 9.5 assists, third best in the NBA . . .Has passed the 4,000 assist mark in his NBA career . . . Has 2,335 assists, third all-time in Portland . . . Ranks 16th in the NBA in minutes played with a 38.4 average and 19th in steals (1.54 per game) . . vs. Sacramento this season: Team-high 23 points (11-17 fgs), 12 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 41 minutes in the Nov. 16 game. Missed Jan. 18 game with ruptured blood vessel in his eye. CHRIS DUDLEY . . . . . vs. the Rockets Tuesday: 8 points (4-8 fgs), game-high 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 24 minutes . . . vs. the Magic Saturday: 4 points, team-high 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal in 13 foul-plagued minutes . . . vs. the Heat Friday: 8 points, game-high 11 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 23 minutes . . . Had his seventh double-double of the season, 12 points and a game high 16 rebounds vs. the Jazz Jan. 23 . . . vs. the Heat Jan. 10: a key block of an Alonzo Mourning shot at the buzzer to preserve the Blazers one-point victory . . . Season-high 19 rebounds versus Charlotte Dec. 14 . . . Leading Blazers rebounder in 30 games . . . Has grabbed 12 or more rebounds in 16 games . . . Ranks 22nd in the league in rebounding with a 9.2 average, and 23rd in blocked shots (1.36 per game) while averaging 24.7 minutes a game . . . Started 59 of the team's 60 games this season . . . Had played in 103 consecutive games, the Blazers' longest streak, before missing the Dec. 10 game vs. Houston with a bruised sternum . . vs. Sacramento this season: AARON McKIE . . . . . vs. the Rockets Tuesday: 12 points (4-11 fgs, 2-4 3pt, 2-2 fts), 5 rebounds, team-high 5 assists, 1 block, 35 minutes . . . vs. the Magic Saturday: 5 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal, 29 minutes . . . vs. the Heat Friday: 13 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 38 minutes . . . Recorded his first double-double of the season and the third of his career vs. the Spurs Jan. 26---11 points, career-high equalling 10 rebounds . . . Played a career-high 46 minutes and scored 21 points vs. the Cavs Jan. 21 . . . Career-high equalling 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block at New York Jan. 2 for his best game of the season . . . Has scored in double figures 33 times and had 20 or more four times . . . Team leader in scoring four times, rebounding twice and assists four times . . . Current Blazers leader in consecutive games played with 59 . . . Broke the zygomatic arch under his left eye during fall camp practice on Oct. 25 . . . Returned to action wearing a facemask Nov. 5 and played his first game without it on Orlando Dec. 3 . . . vs. Sacramento this season: Averaged 18.5 points (17-32 fgs), 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 32.0 minutes in two games. HARVEY GRANT . . . . . vs. the Rockets Tuesday: 14 points (7-9 fgs), 5 rebounds, 28 minutes . . . vs. the Magic Saturday: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal, 35 minutes . . . vs. the Heat Friday: 5 points, 20 minutes . . . vs. the Spurs Jan. 26: Season and game-high 24 points, 8 rebounds in 40 minutes---his 11 field goals and 20 attempts versus the Spurs were the most since the 1993-94 season . . . Scored 14 points versus the Lakers Dec. 23 before fouling out for the first time this season . . . vs. Had a season-high 12 rebounds along with 13 points versus Charlotte Dec. 14 for his first double-double of the season . . . Came up with a career-high six steals plus 14 points and 9 rebounds in the Dec. 10 win over Houston . . . Has scored in double figures 22 times, and led the Blazers in scoring and rebounding once each . . . Missed five games in December with a sprained left foot . . . vs. Sacramento this season: Averaged 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 37.0 minutes in the two games. ARVYDAS SABONIS . . . . . vs. the Rockets Tuesday: 16 points (5-9 fgs, 1-2 3pt, 5-8 fts), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 24 minutes . . . vs. the Magic Saturday: 8 points, team-high 8 rebounds, in 13 foul-plagued minutes--- called for sixth personal with 9:07 in the game, his second NBA career DQ . . . vs. the Heat Friday: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 22 minutes . . . Grabbed seven of his game-high 11 rebounds in the fourth quarter of the Feb. 5 win over the Raptors. . . . Scored all 17 of his points while making eight straight baskets in a seven minute span in the second quarter versus Phoenix Jan. 19 to break the game open . . . vs. Denver Jan. 13: 22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocked shots and game-clinching free throw with 6 seconds remaining . . . Had game-tieing tipin with 5 seconds remaining that setup up Portland's 90-89 victory over Miami Jan. 10 . . . Scored an NBA career-high 24 points and had 10 rebounds Jan. 3 at Boston, including 2 free throws to ice the victory in OT . . .Scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in an NBA career-high 39 minutes versus Houston Dec. 10, hitting the game-winner at the buzzer to beat the Rockets in double OT . . . Had a perfect night from the floor at Golden State Nov. 29, making all eight field goals, all three three- pointers, and all four free throws for a total of 23 points . . . . Had an NBA career-high 16 rebounds at Phoenix Nov. 18 . . . Portland's third leading scorer and second leading rebounder despite averaging just 22.9 minutes per contest and starting only one game . . . Scored in double figures 39 times in 53 games, including 24 of last 31, and has had 20 or more in nine games . . . Eighth in the league in field goal accuracy (.556). . .He's fifth in scoring (13.3 ppg), third in rebounding (7.1 rpg), eighth in assists (1.8 apg), seventh in steals (0.92), and seventh in blocked shots (0.83) among the league's rookies . . . Scored 8 points and grabbed 3 rebounds in four minutes in the Schick Rookie Game at the NBA All-Star Weekend in San Antonio . . . Named 1995 European Player of the Year by the Italian weekly Gazetto Dello Sport. Sabonis, considered to be one of the best European players ever, led Club Real Madrid of Spain to the 1995 European Men's Club Championships and helped Lithuania take a Silver Medal in the European Championships before joining the Blazers in September. The most recent honor was based on a poll of European managers, players, coaches and writers . . . vs. Sacramento this season: Averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 20.0 minutes. GARY TRENT . . . . . vs. the Rockets Tuesday: Team-high 17 points (8- 11 fgs, 1-2 fts), career and team-high 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 27 minutes before dislocating the ring finger on his right hand with 1:08 remaining in the game . . . Is listed as probable for the Kings Friday . . . vs. the Magic Saturday: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 24 minutes . . . vs. the Heat Friday: 13 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 27 minutes---his fifth career double-double . . . Had team-high 19 points and game-high 10 rebounds vs. San Antonio Feb. 20 . . . Scored 16 points and had game high and career high-equalling 11 rebounds vs. Minnesota Feb. 7 . . . Career-high 21 points in 31 minutes versus the Suns Jan. 19 . . . Scored 12 points (6-8 fgs)---his first points as a pro---in the Nov. 5 win over Utah . . . He's second on the team and second among all the league's rookies in field goal percentage (.534) . . . His 8.2 ppg ranks 13th among the league's rookies in scoring and he's 15th among first-year players in rebounding (3.8 per game average) . . . Started six games at small forward . . . Scored in double figures in 24 of 58 outings . . . Converted 72 of 110 (.654) from the field in the last 15 games . . . Was acquired (along with a conditional 1996 first round draft pick) from Milwaukee in exchange for the draft rights to Shawn Respert . . . vs. Sacramento this season: Averaged 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, shot 59 percent (10-17) from field. JAMES ROBINSON . . . . . vs. the Rockets Tuesday: 3 points (1-9 fgs, 0- 6 3pt, 1-2 fts), 1 assist, 2 steals, 27 minutes . . . vs. the Magic Saturday: Scoreless, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 block, 11 minutes . . . vs. the Heat Friday: 5 points, 1 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 23 minutes . . . Scored 11 points, including game-winning three-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining vs. the Raptors Feb. 5 . . . Season and team-high 22 points, team-high 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 block, season-high 42 minutes in his fifth start of the season vs. Cleveland Jan. 21 . . . Had a career-high 4 steals along with 18 points in the Jan. 7 win over the Wolves . . . Had a season-high 6 rebounds at Milwaukee Jan. 5 . . . Scored 17 points including game- winning three-pointer at the buzzer at the Lakers Nov. 21 . . . Has connected on at least one trey in 42 games this season . . . Has scored in double figures 23 times, and led the Blazers in scoring twice and assists three times . . . Missed entire preseason after suffering fracture of fourth metcarpal in his left hand in fall camp . . . vs. Sacramento this season: Averaged 13.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 25.5 minutes in two games. DONTONIO WINGFIELD . . . . . vs. the Rockets Tuesday: Did not play (coach's decision) . . . vs. the Magic Saturday: 2 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, 5 minutes . . . vs. the Heat Friday: 1 point, 1 assist, 7 minutes . . . Started three games at forward to begin the season . . . Was signed as a free agent . . . Spent last year with the Seattle and averaged 2.3 points and 4.0 minutes in 20 games . . . Played one year of college ball at Cincinnati before being drafted in the second round by the Sonics in 1994 . . . vs. Sacramento this season: 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 20 minutes in Jan. 18 contest. Did not play (coach's decision) in first matchup. RUMEAL ROBINSON . . . . . vs. the Rockets Tuesday: 2 points (1-7 fgs, 0-2 3pt), 2 rebounds, 21 minutes in his sixth straight start . . . . vs. the Magic Saturday: 16 points, team-high 5 assists, 1 rebound, 1 block, 37 minutes . . . vs. the Heat Friday: Team and season-high 20 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 31 minutes . . . vs. the Pistons Feb. 25: Team-high 19 points, game-high 11 assists, season-high 40 minutes---second straight double-double . . . In his first-ever start for Portland vs. Denver on Feb. 22, had 18 points and a game-high 13 assists . . .Scored 16 points and had team-high 7 assists and helped spark the second and fourth quarter rallies vs. San Antonio Feb. 20 . . . Did not score in 1 minute in his first appearance in a Blazers uniform Jan. 16 vs. Denver . . . Signed as a free agent with the Blazers on Jan. 10 . . . A 1st round draft choice by Atlanta (10th overall) in 1990, he played four seasons in the NBA with Atlanta, New Jersey and Charlotte . . . The last two seasons he's averaged 20.2 ppg in 37 contests in the CBA, playing for Rapid City, Shreveport and Connecticut. He was Connecticut's leading scorer and fourth ranked in the CBA with a 22.9 ppg average before signing with Portland . . . Led Michigan in scoring in 1990 as was a key player in the Wolverine's run for the 1989 NCAA Championship . . . vs. Sacramento this season: 10 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 19 minutes in Jan. 18 game. ELMORE SPENCER . . . . vs. the Rockets Tuesday: Did not play (coach's decision) . . . vs. the Magic Saturday: Scoreless with 1 rebound in 3 minutes . . . vs. the Heat Friday: 2 points, 2 minutes . . . at the Jazz Jan. 23: 1 point in 3 minutes in first appearance as a Blazer . . . Signed as a free agent with the Blazers Jan. 10 . . . Drafted in the 1st round (25th pick overall) by the Clippers in 1992, and played three seasons before being traded to Denver for Brian Williams . . . Released by Denver on Dec. 21 after appearing in six games . . . Has played in 145 NBA games, averaging 6.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, while shooting 52 percent from the field . . . All-American honorable mention as a senior at UNLV . . . vs. Miami Jan. 10: Did not play (coach's decision) . . . vs. Sacramento this season: Did not play (coach's decision) in Jan. 18 game. RANDOLPH CHILDRESS . . . . . Underwent surgery on his left shoulder Jan. 9 to repair a torn anterior capsule and labrum and was placed on the injured list. He suffered the injury in the Dec. 30 overtime loss at Cleveland . . . In 28 games before the injury averaged 3.0 points, 1.1 assists, 0.3 steals, 8.9 minutes . . . Scored a career-high 18 points (5-8 fgs, 4-6 3pt, 4-5 fts in 27 minutes of the Dec. 3 win over Orlando. . . His 5 points and 5 assists versus Utah Nov. 5, were the first of his pro career . . . Was acquired, along with forward Bill Curley, from the Detroit in exchange for Otis Thorpe . . . Was the Pistons' first round draft pick (19th overall) in 1995 draft . . . vs. Sacramento this season: 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 7 minutes in Nov. 16 game. BILL CURLEY . . . . . Opened the season on the injured list, as he recovers from left ankle surgery performed Oct. 5 . . . The surgery removed a bone fragment . . . Was acquired from Detroit (along with the draft rights to Randolph Childress) in exchange for Otis Thorpe on Sept. 20 . . . Played in 53 games during his rookie campaign at Detroit and averaged 2.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 11.2 minutes per game.