PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS vs. DETROIT PISTONS GAME NO. 36 --- JAN. 14, 1997 PLAYING THE PISTONS --- The Trail Blazers, 19-16, return from five days off, their longest stretch without action so far, to host the Detroit Pistons in the season's first meeting of the two teams. The Blazers will be looking to bounce back from last Wednesday's 85-81 loss to Miami that scissored a five-game winning streak, the club's longest of the year. Despite the setback, Portland remains two wins ahead of last season when, after 35 games, the record read 17-18, and the Blazers still pack the Western Conference's fifth best record. In winning five of their last six contests, the Blazers have held their opponents to a combined .403 field goal percentage and a 92.3 points per game scoring average, and have outpaced their foes by an average of 11.2 points per contest. The Blazers offense, averaging 98.1 points per contest for the season, is the NBA eighth most productive, and the defense, averaging 94.1 ppg, ranks 10th. Portland has outscored its 35 opponents by 4.0 points a game and the margin in 16 victories is 14.2 points a contest. The Detroit matchup on Tuesday opens a heavy run of action that includes eight games in the next 12 days and 11 in the next 18, including five home dates and four sets of back-to-back games. PROBABLE STARTERS --- F-- No. 24 Chris Dudley (6-11), F--No. 33 Gary Trent (6-8), C--No. 11 Arvydas Sabonis (7-3), G--No. 34 Isaiah Rider (6-5), G--No. 7 Kenny Anderson (6-1). THE BLAZERS-PISTON SERIES --- The Blazers dropped both games to the Pistons last season to fall one game behind, 38-37, in their all-time series with the Detroit club. Prior to the Pistons' sweep, Portland had won four in a row. Detroit's 93-81 victory on its first visit to the new Rose Garden last February was only the second in its last 26 trips to the Rose City where the Blazers own an all-time 25-12 homecourt series advantage. Portland's last home win over the Pistons came on Nov. 20, 1994, a 98-96 squeeker. In all-time series games played in Detroit, Portland is down, 26-12. LAST SEASON --- Portland suffered only its third series sweep at the hands of the Pistons in 26 seasons. The Blazers dropped a 107-100 overtime battle at Auburn Hills on Nov. 8, then lost to the Pistons at home for only the second time in 26 games on Feb. 25, 93-81. In the OT loss, the Blazers battled back from a six-point fourth quarter deficit to send the game into the extra session only to see Joe Dumars, who scored a Blazers opponent season high 41 points in the game, lead the winning rally for the Pistons. Clifford Robinson tallied 30 to lead Portland. In the rematch in Portland, the Blazers had a one-point lead, 81-80 with three minutes remaining but then were outscored 13-0 down the stretch. Rumeal Robinson paced the Blazers with 19 points and 11 assists. Grant Hill and Alan Houston each scored 23 points for Detroit. In the two games, both teams fired at a 44 percent clip from the field, Portland 68-of-153, and Detroit, 66-149. At the line where the Blazers were 24-40 (.600) and the Pistons 57-71 (.803). Detroit outrebounded Portland, 44.5-31.5. ON OFFENSE --- The Blazers have the eighth most productive offense in the league, averaging 98.1 points a contest . . . In winning 19 games, the Blazers margin of victory has been 14.4 ppg, with the cushion being 11 or more points in 11 games and 20 or more six times . . . Portland's overall scoring margin over opponents of +4.0 is the league's ninth best . . . The Blazers shot just .384 from the field in Monday's win over the Lakers but in the Previous three games, the Blazers combined for a .513 field goal shooting mark (including a season-best .541 versus San Antonio a week ago) and have raised their field goal accuracy mark to .453, 13th highest in the league . . . Ten of the Blazers 16 losses have been by six points or less and five have been by three or under . . . Portland is 11-5 in games decided by 11 points or more but 5-7 when the margin is four points or under. ON DEFENSE . . . Portland has the eighth toughest defense in the league to shoot against, holding foes to .434 field goal accuracy in 35 games . . . In winning 19 games, the Blazers have held 16 opponents under 100 points and have allowed only 11 of 35 to top the century mark . . . Their defensive average, 94.1, is the league's 10th lowest and is 2.9 per game below last year's club record of 97.0 in 82 games. ON THE BOARDS --- Portland, a perennial NBA rebounding power, leads the NBA in total rebounding percentage---the share of total misses in a game a team rebounds---(.535), is second in defensive rebounding percentage (.727) and fourth in offensive percentage (.344) . . . The Blazers have had 50 or more boards in eight outings, and have been outrebounded in only six of 35 games . . . They have an overall advantage of 6.7 boards per game and a 4.5 per game margin on the defensive glass . . . Portland, among top five rebounding teams in the league for the past nine years, is the leader again this season despite not having an individual among the league's top 30. AMONG THE NBA LEADERS ---RASHEED WALLACE, first in field goal percentage---.588 (170-289) ---GARY TRENT, 10th in field goal percentage---.527 (137-260) ---ARVYDAS SABONIS, 20th in field goal percentage---.497 (163-328) and 24th in blocked shots (1.31) --- KENNY ANDERSON , 16th in assists (6.5), is 9th in steals (2.00), and 32nd in scoring (18.1) --- CHRIS DUDLEY, 20th in blocked shots (1.54) --- CLIFFORD ROBINSON, 22nd in minutes played (38.7) THE LAST THREE GAMES HEAT BURNS BLAZER STREAK --- Portland suffered its first homecourt loss ever to the Miami Heat in a physical struggle, 85-81, last Wednesday in the Rose Garden. The loss, only the second in 19 games against Miami and the first in 10 at home, snapped a five-game Blazers win streak, its longest of the season. Arvydas Sabonis and Isaiah Rider each scored 17 for Portland and Sabonis grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. Miami's Tim Hardaway took game scoring honors with 28 points, 21 of them in the second half. After the Blazers had pulled within one, 82-81, with 35.9 seconds remaining, Hardaway swished a tough 19-foot jumper with the shot clock winding down, then clinched the win with two free throws with 2 seconds remaining. Both teams shot 37 percent from the floor, Portland, 29-78, and Miami, 26-70, but the Heat had the better of it in free throws, making 24 of 34, compared with 17 of 22 by the Blazers. The 32 fouls by Portland equalled its season high. The Blazers had a 39-38 rebounding edge. A BIG ONE OVER THE LAKERS --- The Trail Blazers, playing without starting forwards Rasheed Wallace and Clifford Robinson, won their season-best fifth straight game Monday, downing the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Lakers in the Rose Garden, 88-84. The win snapped the Lakers' six-game streak and ended a string of 14 consecutive L.A. victories in the Pacific Division dating back to last season. Arvydas Sabonis, who topped Portland scoring with 24 points, helped stake the Blazers to an early lead by scoring 13 of his points in the first quarter. Kenny Anderson made the big plays down the stretch for Portland, tallying all six of his club's points in the last 2:38 of the game, including a three-pointer that broke an 84-84 tie with 51.4 seconds remaining. With Wallace on the injured list (broken thumb) and Robinson sent to the locker room after the first minute because of the flu, Chris Dudley and Dontonio Wingfield made big contributions off the bench. Dudley grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds and Wingfield put 11 points on the scoreboard and tied his career high with 9 rebounds as Portland battled to a 46-35 edge on the backboards. Portland shot just 38 percent for the game (28-73) compared with the Lakers 47 percent (35-74) but made good on 28-of-40 free throws (70 percent) while the Lakers were converting a Blazers opponent season low 11-of-24 (46 percent). Shaquille O Neal paced the Lakers with 34 points but Portland's starting guards---Anderson and Isaiah Rider outscored their L.A. counterparts Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel, 32-14. FOUR IN A ROW --- The Trail Blazers had their biggest first quarter of the season Saturday, outscoring the Mavericks, 38-28, and then held off Dallas down the stretch at Reunion Arena to post their fourth straight victory, 110-104, equalling the club's longest streak of the season. It was the Blazers' season-best third road win in a row and the sixth straight over Dallas. Center Arvydas Sabonis scored a career-high 33 points on 11-of-14 field goals to go along with 12 rebounds. All five starters were again in double figures and three posted double-doubles. In addition to Sabonis, Kenny Anderson had his sixth double with 25 points and 11 assists, and Isaiah Rider contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Blazers hit the hoop on .494 of their attempts (40-81), while the host team was shooting .429 (39-91). Portland had a 54-46 edge on the boards. SABONIS STEPS UP --- The Blazers big second-year center Arvydas Sabonis, in the running for NBA Player-of-the-Week for the last two weeks, scored 41 points in head-to-head matchups with two of the league's premier centers, the Lakers Shaquille O Neal and Miami's Alonzo Mourning in the last two games. He continues an impressive run of games that has raised his season averages to 13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds a game. In the last eight games, the 7-foot-3 international star from Lithuania has averaged 21.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, shot 49 percent from the field (55-111) and 52 percent (12-23) from three-point range and twice has been the team's assists leader, while averaging 32.6 minutes a game. ATTENDANCE IN TOP THREE --- The Trail Blazers, despite playing in the league's fourth smallest market area, rank behind only Charlotte and Chicago in home game attendance as the season approaches the midway point. The Blazers, through 17 games in the Rose Garden, have averaged 20,241. Charlotte is the league-leader with a 24,042 average and Chicago is next with 23,798. WALLACE SIDELINED WITH BROKEN THUMB --- Second-year forward Rasheed Wallace, who had been filling the hoop at a torrid pace most of the season and still is the NBA's field goal percentage leader, was placed on the injured list Dec. 26 after undergoing surgery after suffering a broken left thumb in the Dec. 23 Bullets game. He is expected to be sidelined at least two more weeks. It is the same injury that kept him from the final 15 games of his rookie season at Washington last year. Before he left the floor, he had made both of his field goal attempts, raising his percentage to .588 on 170 of 289. In the previous game, Rasheed scored a career-high 38 points at Sacramento while pouring in 17 of 25 field goal attempts. YOUTH MOVEMENT --- The Blazers club is the NBA's youngest and least experienced team. At the start of the season, the team averaged 25.63 years of age, and 2.47 years NBA experience per player. Two seasons ago, Portland was the oldest in age and the most experienced (averaging 29.28 years in age and 6.93 years in experience). Not only was the team's 15-player averages lower than even the league's two newest expansion franchises, but Portland's roster included eight players performing in Blazers uniforms for the first time. Chris Dudley, in his 10th year, and Clifford Robinson, in his eighth, are the team's most experienced players. Kenny Anderson is in his sixth season but none of the others have been in the league more than three years. ANDERSON S ASSISTS COUNTING UP --- Point guard Kenny Anderson has now dished out 228 assists for the season (6.5 per game, 16th best in the league). That means $4,560 so far for the Kids Making Miracles $1 million drive to fund a state-of-the-art health care facility at Portland's Doernbecher Children's Hospital. Anderson, honorary chairman of Kids Making Miracles, has pledged $20 for every assist he makes during the season. As part of the NBA's major youth initiative TeamUp, the Trail Blazers made a three-year commitment to help build public awareness of Kids Making Miracles efforts. Kids Make Miracles is a volunteer organization of hundreds of grade and high school students throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. P.J. CARLESIMO --- Head coach P.J. Carlesimo posted his 100th NBA career success Dec. 6 as his Blazers stopped Charlotte, 97-93. In his third season at the Portland helm, he became the fourth coach in franchise history to reach the century mark. The others are his three predecessors, Jack Ramsay (453-367, 55.2%), Mike Schuler (127-84, 60.2%) and Rick Adelman (291-154, 65.4%). P.J. currently is 107-92, 53.8%. Last season, Carlesimo guided Portland to a 44-38 record for the second year in a row. In 1994-95, he became only the second coach since Cotton Fitzsimmons in 1970-71 to move directly from the college to an NBA head coaching job and have a winning record in his first season. A LAKER REMATCH --- After tackling the Pistons Tuesday, the Blazers head for Los Angeles for A Thursday rematch with the Lakers (7:30 p.m., KEX Radio, KGW-TV), then return home the next night, Jan. 17, to host Toronto (7 p.m., KEX Radio) in the closer of their 10th back-to-back set of games this season. The Toronto game opens a three-game homestand that continues Sunday against Utah (7 p.m., KEX Radio, BlazerVision) and concludes next Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers (7 p.m., KEX Radio). THE PLAYERS KENNY ANDERSON --- Wednesday vs. Miami: 12 pts (4-10 fgs, 2-2 3pt, 2-2 fts), 7 assists, 2 rbs, 2 steals, 37 minutes . . . Jan. 6 vs. Lakers: 15 pts, 4 assists, 4 rbs, 4 steals, 40 minutes . . . Jan. 4 at Dallas: 25 pts, 11 assists, 8 rbs, 1 steal, 41 minutes---sixth double-double and the second time this season he's come up just 2 rbs shy of his sixth career triple-double . . . Team-best 16th 20-plus game . . . Scored a season-high 34 pts in a season-high 49 minutes Dec. 13 at the Lakers . . . Scored 32 points vs. Houston Nov. 26 . . . . . Team's leading scorer at 18.1 ppg, the assists leader (6.5 avg.) and tops in steals (2.0 avg.) . . . Ranks 32nd in the NBA in scoring, 16th in assists, and 9th in steals . . . Signed as a free agent July 23 . . . Played last season with New Jersey and Charlotte, averaging 15.2 points and 8.3 assists in 69 games . . . Played the previous four years with New Jersey . . . Nets 1st round draft choice (2nd overall) in 1991 . . . Starting East guard in the 1994 NBA All-Star Game . . . New Jersey's all-time assists leader. MARCUS BROWN --- Did not play (coach's decision) in last four games . . . Played in his first NBA game against San Antonio Dec. 29, scoring 6 pts in 5 minutes---his first pro points came at 2:40 of 4th quarter on a three-pointer (his first attempt) from the left side . . . Activated Dec. 27 after spending the first 29 games of the season on th injured list (strained right groin) sustained in practice Oct. 29 . . . Portland's 2nd round draft pick (46th overall) in the 1996 NBA Draft . . . Second leading collegiate scorer in the nation last year at Murray State with a 26.4 average. MITCHELL BUTLER --- Wednesday vs. Miami: 0 pts (0-2 fgs), 2 rbs, 1 assist, 8 minutes . . . Jan. 6 vs. Lakers: 2 pts, 1 rb, 7 minutes . . . Jan. 4 at Dallas: 0 pts, 4 minutes . . . Activated Dec. 13 after spending previous five games on injured list (tendonitis, both knees) . . . Obtained in trade, along with Rasheed Wallace, with Washington for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant on July 15 . . . Averaged 6.4 points in 212 games over three seasons with the Bullets . . . Not drafted, he was signed as a free agent by the Bullets in 1993 after playing in more games than any player in UCLA history . . . Captain of the 1992-93 Bruins. RANDOLPH CHILDRESS --- Wednesday vs. Miami: 0 pts, 1 assist, 8 minutes . . . Did not play (coach's decision) Jan. 6 vs. Lakers . . . Jan. 4 at Dallas: 0 pts, 2 rbs, 4 minutes . . . Scored a season-high 8 points in a season-high 22 minutes Dec. 29 versus San Antonio . . . Had career-high 6 assists vs. Denver Nov. 23 . . . Averaged 3.0 points in 28 games as a Blazers rookie last season before undergoing surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule and labrum in his left shoulder suffered in a Dec. 30 game at Cleveland . . . He missed the last 52 games of the season after averaging 3.0 points and 1.3 assists in his first 28 games . . . An All-American at Wake Forest, he was drafted by Detroit in the 1st round (19th) overall in 1995 and acquired in a trade involving Otis Thorpe on Sept. 20, 1995 . . . Last season vs. Pistons: 0 pts, 2 rbs, 2 assists, 8 minutes of Game 1. CHRIS DUDLEY --- Wednesday vs. Miami: 4 pts (2-3 fgs), 7 rbs, 1 steal, 1 block, 21 minutes . . . Jan. 6 vs. Lakers: 6 pts, tied season-high with game-high 13 rbs, 2 assists, 2 blocked shots, 38 minutes . . . Jan. 4 at Dallas: 0 pts, 8 rbs, 3 blocked shots, 19 minutes . . . Blocked a season-high five shots Dec. 1 at Golden State . . . Had a season-high 13 rebounds at New Jersey Nov. 15 . . . Second on team in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and leader in blocked shots (1.54) despite starting just two games thus far . . . Ranks 20th in the league in blocks . . . Blazers leader in rebounds and blocks last two seasons . . . Averaged 9.0 boards and 1.25 blocks last season . . . 10th year in the league, the team's longest tenured player . . . Named 1996 winner of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association in recognition of outstanding community service and charitable work . . . Last season vs. Pistons: Averaged 3.0 pts, 6.0 rbs, 21.5 minutes in two starts. REGGIE JORDAN --- Placed on injured list Dec. 27 with non-displaced, oblique fracture of third metacarpal in left hand . . . Injury occurred Dec. 27 at Utah where he had 0 pts, 1 rb, 1 steal in 12 minutes, before being leaving the floor . . . Scored a season-high 8 pts and tied his career high with 9 rebounds 23 minutes vs. Dallas Dec. 20 . . Activated Dec. 20 after being on injured list (injured joint, left thumb) since Nov. 26 . . . Signed as a free agent by Portland Aug. 30 . . . Previously played in the NBA with the Lakers and Hawks . . . In 47 previous NBA games averaged 4.7 points and 1.2 assists . . . Started 1995-96 with Sioux Falls of the CBA where he averaged 19.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists in 38 games and was a starter in the 1996 CBA All-Star Game. AARON McKIE --- Wednesday vs. Miami: 2 pts (1-4 fgs, 0-1 3pt, 0-1 fts), 1 rb, 1 assist, 14 minutes . . . Jan. 6 vs. Lakers: 0 pts, 1 rb, 1 block, 14 minutes . . . Jan. 4 at Dallas: 2 pts, 5 rbs, 13 minutes . . . Played a season-high 41 minutes, scoring 7 points and dishing out 5 assists vs. Orlando Dec. 10 . . . Played in his 116th consecutive game Wednesday, the Blazers longest current run . . . Blazers fourth leading scorer last season (10.7 ppg) . . . Started 75 games last year. . . Averaged 9.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in his first 126 games as a Trail Blazer . . . First round draft choice (17th overall) by Portland in 1994 . . . Last season vs. Pistons: Averaged 10.0 pts, 2.5 assists, 2.0 rbs, 2.5 steals, 27.0 minutes in two starts. JERMAINE O'NEAL --- Wednesday vs. Miami: 0 pts, 3 minutes . . . Jan. 6 vs. Lakers: 1 pt, 2 rbs, 1 assist, 1 block, 5 minutes . . . Jan. 4 at Dallas: 0 pts, 2 minutes . . . Scored a career-high equalling 8 pts, had a career-high 3 blocks in a career-high 24 minutes vs. San Antonio, Dec. 29 . . . Grabbed a career-high 6 rbs at the Clippers Dec. 27 . . . Became the youngest player ever to participate in an NBA regular season game Dec. 5 at Denver, entering the contest at 7:24 of the second period. He was 1-of-1 from the floor in three minutes of action . . . At 18 years, 1 month and 21 days, he was the youngest since the Lakers Kobe Bryant, who was 18 years, 2 months, 11 days when he appeared in his first game on Nov. 3 . . . Spent season's first 17 games on the injured list (bone contusion, left knee) suffered in an Oct. 25 preseason game . . . Scored the first points as a professional player on his 18th birthday on Oct. 13 against Sacramento . . . Portland's first round pick (17th overall) in the 1996 NBA Draft out of Eau Claire H.S. in Columbia, S.C. ISAIAH RIDER --- Wednesday vs. Miami: Tied for team-high honors with 17 pts (6-14 fgs, 1-3 3pt, 4-4 fts), 1 rb, 2 assists, 1 steal, 29 minutes . . . Jan. 6 vs. Lakers: 17 pts, 9 rbs, team-high 5 assists, 42 minutes . . . 11-14 from the line both season highs . . . Jan. 4 at Dallas: 19 pts, 10 rbs, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 38 minutes---second double-double of the season . . . Averaging 20.3 ppg in his last seven outings . . . Scored 23 points and had a game and season-high 11 rebounds vs. Seattle Dec. 18 . . . Dished out a career-high 11 assists Nov. 26 at Houston . . . Came to Portland from Minnesota in a July 23 trade for James Robinson and Bill Curley and a conditional 1st round draft choice . . . Minnesota's 1993 first round draft choice (5th overall) from UNLV . . . Averaged 18.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists in 229 games for the Wolves in three seasons . . . 1993-94 NBA All-Rookie First Team . . . Winner of the Gatorade Slam-Dunk Championship at the 1994 NBA All-Star Weekend. CLIFFORD ROBINSON --- Suspended for Tuesday's Detroit game for actions that took place during and after the Miami game . . . Wednesday vs. Miami: 11 pts (4-11 fgs, 2-4 3pt, 1-2 fts), 2 rbs, 1 block, 33 minutes . . . Jan. 6 vs. Lakers: 0 pts (0-2 fgs, 0-1 3pt), 1 rb, 1 minute before leaving game with case of stomach flu . . . Jan. 4 at Dallas: 19 pts, 6 rbs, 4 assists, season-high 4 steals, 2 blocks, 45 minutes . . . Poured in his 400th career three-pointer Dec. 12 versus Vancouver. Robinson has least one long-ranger in 29 of 33 games . . . Scored game-high 33 pts Dec. 10 vs. Orlando . . . Played a season-high 51 minutes (just two shy of his career high) vs. Indiana Nov. 3 . . . Ranks 22nd in the NBA in minutes played (38.7) . . . Leading scorer the past two seasons . . . Averaged 21.1 points in 1995-96, league's 16th highest . . . Had played in all but 11 of 609 games in seven-plus years as a Blazer . . Now sixth among Portland's all-time scoring leaders with 9,730 points . . . Ranks in top ten in 16 of 17 career categories . . . Only remaining Blazer from the 1990 and 1992 Western Conference Championship teams . . Last season vs. Pistons: Averaged a team second-highest 21.5 pts, 5.5 rbs, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 3.5 blocks, 45.5 minutes in two starts, including 30 points in the overtime matchup. ARVYDAS SABONIS --- Wednesday vs. Miami: tied for team-high with 17 pts (5-18 fgs, 1-5 3pt, 6-9 fts), game-high 15 rbs, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 37 minutes---team-best 10th double-double . . . Jan. 6 vs. Lakers: Team-high 24 pts, 3 rbs, team-high 5 assists, 1 steal, 37 minutes---scored 13 of his points in the first quarter . . . Jan. 4 at Dallas: Career-high 33 points, career high-equalling 11 field goals (on 14 attempts) and 8 free throws on a career-high 14 fts, team-high 12 rbs in 35 minutes . . . In past seven games has averaged 10.6 rbs per game . . . Equalled his career high with 26 points and had a game-high 13 rebounds Dec. 26 at Utah . . . Played a career-high 41 minutes in the Dec. 13 overtime loss at the Lakers . . Grabbed career-high 17 rebounds at Minnesota Nov. 7 . . . Team's leading rebounder (8.2 rpg) and second in blocked shots (1.31) . . . Stands 20th in NBA field goal accuracy at .497 (163-328) and 24th in blocks . . . On the NBA's All-Rookie first team last season, the first Trail Blazer to gain such an honor since Sam Bowie in 1985 . . . Runner-up for the 1996 Schick Rookie of the Year and NBA Sixth Man honors . . . Was the first Blazers rookie in 15 years to score more than 1,000 points in a season . . . Averaged 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds in 73 games . . . Gained his third Olympic Games medal during the summer in helping Lithuania to the Bronze at Atlanta . . . Last season vs. Pistons: Averaged 13.0 pts, 6.0 rbs, 1.5 assists, 25.0 minutes in two games. GARY TRENT --- Wednesday vs. Miami: 14 pts (5-9 fgs, 4-4 fts), 4 rbs, 2 steals, 1 block, 34 minutes . . . Jan. 6 vs. Lakers: 12 pts, 3 rbs, 1 assist, 1 steal, 29 minutes . . . Jan. 4 at Dallas: 12 pts, 3 rbs, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 39 minutes . . . Portland 5-2 since he moved into the starting lineup in place of the injured Rasheed Wallace . . . Played a career-high 44 minutes and scored 19 points Jan. 2 at Houston . . . Shooting .592 from field in last five games (29-49) and ranks 10th in the NBA in field goal accuracy (.527 on 137-260) . . . Scored a game and career-high 22 pts (9-12 fgs, 4-4 fts) and claimed a game and career-high 13 rbs in 25 minutes Nov. 26 at Denver . . . Averaged 7.5 points (14th highest for an NBA rookie) in 69 games as a Blazer last season . . . First round draft pick (11th overall) by Milwaukee in 1995 . . . Portland acquired his draft rights in an exchange involving Shawn Respert's draft rights . . . All-American and Mid-American Conference's leading scorer for three years in a row at Ohio University . . . Last season vs. Pistons: 0 pts, 1 rb, 1 steal, 8 minutes of Game 2. RASHEED WALLACE --- Placed on injured list Dec. 27 after surgery on his thumb; is expected to be sidelined a minimum of four weeks . . . Dec. 23 vs. Washington: 5 pts (2-2 fgs), 1 rb, 16 minutes before leaving game with a fractured left thumb in the second quarter . . Tallied a career and team season-high 38 pts on career-high 17 of 25 fgs in 40 minutes at Sacramento Dec. 21---previous highs of 32 pts, 15-20 fgs, came Nov. 5 at Golden State . . . Converted a career-high 11 free throws (in 15 tries) while scoring 29 points in the Dec. 13 OT loss at the Lakers . . . Grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds vs. Vancouver Dec. 12 . . . Still No. 1 among NBA's field goal percentage shooters (.588 on 170-289) . . . His 32 points at Golden State Nov. 5 was the first 30-plus game of his career . . . Acquired by Portland, along with Mitchell Butler, from Washington in exchange for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant on July 15 . . . 1996 NBA All-Rookie second team selection . . . Started 51 of 65 games he appeared in as a rookie and averaged 10.1 points a game . . . Selected in the first round (4th pick overall) by the Bullets in the 1995 NBA Draft . . . Second team sophomore All-American at North Carolina before becoming an early entry draft candidate. DONTONIO WINGFIELD --- Wednesday vs. Miami: 4 pts (2-6 fgs, 0-2 3pt), 5 rbs, 1 steal, 16 minutes . . . Jan. 6 vs. Lakers: Season-high 11 pts, tied career-high with 9 rbs, 1 assist, 1 steal, season-high 27 minutes . . . Jan. 4 at Dallas: Did not play (coach's decision) . . . Placed on injured list Dec. 13 (sprained left thumb suffered in Dec. 12 game with Vancouver) . . . Dec. 12 vs. Vancouver: Did not mark in 2 minutes of play . . . Played a season-high 26 minutes at New Jersey Nov. 15. . . Averaged 3.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 44 games with Portland last season . . . Signed as a free agent in 1995 after playing the 1994-95 season with Seattle . . . Second round draft choice (37th overall) by Seattle in 1994 . . . Became an early entry draft candidate after one year of collegiate basketball at the University of Cincinnati . . . Last season vs. Pistons: 3 pts, 1 rb, 1 steal, 10 minutes of Game 1. John Christensen Chuck Charnquist ************************************************************ Send subscribe/unsubscribe messages to majordomo@blazers.com ************************************************************