Portland's Arvydas Sabonis named NBA Player of the Week
"Sabas" paces Blazers to 4-0 record, averaging 20.3 points, 9.5 boards, 2.3 
blocks and 2.0 assists   

PORTLAND -- Portland's Arvydas Sabonis edged out Miami's Alonzo Mourning for 
NBA Player of the Week honors for the week ending Sunday, March 31.

Sabonis, who helped lead Portland to a 4-0 record for the week, averaged 
20.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocked shots and 2.0 assists in 27.8 minutes 
per game.  The 7-3 center shot .648  (35-for-54) from the field and .429 
(3-for-7) from three-point range.

Portland, winners of four consecutive games, has won nine of its last ten 
games since the rookie from Lithuania was inserted into the starting lineup 
on March 8.  Sabonis began the week on Monday with a team-high 18 points 
(8-for-9 from the field) and a game-high 15 rebounds in 26 minutes in 
Portland's 94-71 defeat of Philadelphia.  He followed that performance on 
Thursday with a team-high 26 points and a game-high 14 rebounds in 32 
minutes as Portland beat Golden State, 94-89.

Sabonis had 16 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in Portland's 
109-90 victory at Houston on Saturday and closed the week with a game-high 
21 points, three rebounds and three blocked shots in 24 minutes in the Trail 
Blazers' 115-100 win at Dallas.

Mourning averaged 31.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots in 
leading Miami to a 2-1 record last week. He scored a career-high 50 points 
in Miami's 112-93 defeat of Washington on Friday.  Other candidates for NBA 
Player of the Week were Boston's David Wesley, the Los Angeles Lakers' 
Ervin Johnson, Orlando's Shaquille O'Neal and San Antonio's David Robinson.