PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS vs. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS GAME NO. 40 --- JAN. 21, 1997 CLIPPERS HERE --- The Trail Blazers, 22-17, will be looking to go six games above .500 for the first time this season when they host the Los Angeles Clippers Tuesday in the Rose Garden. It will be the second of four meetings between the two teams. Next matchup is scheduled March 11 in Portland. A victory Tuesday would be Portland s ninth in its last 11 games and its seventh in a row over Western Conference opponents. The Blazers 18-10 mark is the fifth best in the Western Conference. Portland is coming off a 102-96 homecourt victory over Utah Sunday. Five of the eight wins in the recent run have been over teams with better records---Houston, the Lakers twice, Detroit and Utah. Two of those successes have been on the road where Portland owns a 10-9 record and has won a season-best four in a row. Portlland, at 22-17, is two games ahead of last year s pace after 39 games. In capturing eight of their last 10 contests, the Blazers have held their opponents to a 92.7 points per game average, have allowed only one team to top the 100-point mark, and have outscored their foes by an average of 6.7 ppg. The Blazers offense, averaging 98.1 points for the season, is the NBA s seventh most productive, and the defense, averaging 94.0 ppg, ranks 11th. PROBABLE STARTERS --- F-- No. 3 Clifford Robinson (6-10), 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-CLIPPERS SERIES --- The Blazers hold a 97-43 advantage in their all-time series with the Clippers which dates back to 1970 when the Los Angeles franchise, then the Buffalo Braves, and Portland were both first-year expansion teams. The Trail Blazers won the last meeting and have taken eight of the last 10 in the series. Portland has won eight in a row from the Clippers at home where it has a dominant 58-11 edge in series matchups. The last victory by Los Angeles on the Blazers court came on Feb. 12, 1993. In the Clippers building, Portland is up 39-32 after claiming a 102-98 victory on Dec. 27. That win broke a two-game Los Angeles success streak at home. THE LAST TIME THEY MET --- The Trail Blazers snapped a three-game losing streak by battling from behind in the second half at the L.A. Sports Arena Dec. 27 to take home a 102-98 decision over the Clippers. Kenny Anderson, who led the Blazers in scoring with 25 points, drove the length of the court for a layup, was fouled and made the free throw with 27.1 seconds remaining to give his team a 98-95 cushion. Free throws by Arvydas Sabonis and Isaiah Rider clinched the win, the first in the last three tries on the Clippers floor. It gave Portland an even break on back-to-back road games on the two days after Christmas. The Blazers finished shooting .410 (34-83), compared with the Clippers .482 (41-85) but converted 30 of 39 free throws compared with the host s 12 of 18, and pounded out a 49-40 rebounding advantage. Portland won the game despite setting an all-time club low for assists (9). KEEPING BUSY --- Tuesday s Clippers game is the fourth in a hectic stretch of seven outings in 10 days for the Blazers, who finish off January by taking the court 11 times in 18 nights. It also opens a four games-in-five-days run with back-to-backs tonight and Wednesday against the Clippers and Sonics respectively and Friday and Saturday against Phoenix and Minnesota. Two of the four---Seattle and Phoenix---are on the road. In a two-week run that started against the Lakers on Friday, the Blazers play four sets of back-to-back games. BLAZERS MILESTONES --- Clifford Robinson and Chris Dudley both played in their 600th NBA game Friday against Toronto . . . Robinson has moved past Geoff Petrie as Portland s fifth all-time leading scorer and now, with 9,777 points, needs just 223 more to become only the fifth Trail Blazer to reach 10,000 . . . P.J. Carlesimo posted his 100th win as Portland s head coach on Dec. 6 . . . Kenny Anderson is 47 assists away from his 3,000th and needs eight three-pointers to reach No. 300. RIDER ON A ROLL --- Isaiah Rider, who has scored 96 points in his last four outings, has picked up the pace considerably since Christmas. In his last 11 contests, all 17-point plus efforts including games of 31 and 30 points, he has averaged 21.6 a game. That is up more than eight points a contest from his 13.2 average in his first 26 outings as a Blazer. Portland is 8-3 in that 11-game stretch. In the last four games, Rider averaged 24.0 ppg and fired at a .532 clip from the field (33-62). Since Christmas, Rider is shooting .479 (81-169) after converting at a .404 clip in his first 26 games. ON OFFENSE --- The Blazers have the seventh most productive offense in the league (behind Chicago, Seattle, Golden State, Houston, Phoenix and Utah), averaging 98.0 points a contest . . . In winning 22 games, the Blazers margin of victory has been 13.3 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 +4.1 is the league s ninth best . . . The Blazers field goal accuracy mark of .454 is the 13th highest in the league . . . Eleven of the Blazers 17 losses have been by six points or less and six have been by three or under . . . Portland is 11-5 in games decided by 11 points or more but 6-8 when the margin is four points or under. ON DEFENSE . . . Portland has the seventh toughest defense in the league to shoot against, holding foes to .432 field goal accuracy in 39 games . . . In winning 22 games, the Blazers have held 19 opponents under 100 points and overall have allowed only 11 of 39 to top the century mark . . . Their defensive average, 94.0, is the league s 11th lowest and is 3.0 per game below last year s club record of 97.0 in 82 games. ON THE BOARDS --- Portland, a perennial NBA rebounding power, have outrebounded 33 of 39 opponents this season and nine times have claimed 50 or more misses in a game . . . Portland 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 (.725) and fourth in offensive percentage (.345) . . . The Blazers have an overall advantage of 6.7 boards per game and a 4.7 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, 13th in field goal percentage---.517 (152-294) ---ARVYDAS SABONIS, 23rd in field goal percentage---.495 (183-370) and 24th in blocked shots (1.36) ---KENNY ANDERSON , 17th in assists (6.7), is 10th in steals (1.87), and 31st in scoring (18.1) ---CHRIS DUDLEY, 22nd in blocked shots (1.44) ---CLIFFORD ROBINSON, 18th in minutes played (38.9) THE LAST THREE GAMES RALLY PAST THE JAZZ --- The Trail Blazers roared back from a seven-point deficit after three quarters to defeat Utah, 102-96, in the Rose Garden Sunday. The victory, Portland s eighth in the last 10 games, stopped a four-game Jazz win streak in the series. The Blazers outscored the visitors, 33-20, in the fourth period to post only their second win in 13 comeback tries after trailing entering the final stanza. For the fifth time this season, three Blazers chipped in with +20 numbers. Kenny Anderson, who hit a big three-pointer and four free throws in the final 1:18 to seal the victory, topped all scorers in the game with 26 points while teammates Arvydas Sabonis and Isaiah Rider added 22 and 21 respectively. Jeff Hornacek led Utah with 22 points. The Blazers, who were 13-of-18 from the field in the first quarter, shot .493 for the game while limiting Utah to a .446 chart. Portland had a 36-31 rebounding edge. RAPTORS GET FIRST --- Portland dug a 25-15 hole in the first quarter then pulled even at intermission, 47-47, with its highest scoring second period of the season. But Toronto made the shots it needed down the stretch and held off the Blazers in the Rose Garden Friday, to post a 94-92 victory, its first ever over Portland. The loss was only the third in the last 10 games for the Blazers and came on the heels of a hard-fought four-point victory the night before in Los Angeles. Isaiah Rider topped Blazers point producers with 23 while Raptor guard Damon Stoudamire led all scorers in the game with 24, including his team s last seven points. Portland shot 46 percent (39-84) and Toronto 44 percent (40-89), while the Blazers grabbed a 46-40 rebounding edge. BIG WIN AT THE FORUM --- The Trail Blazers, posting their seventh win in eight games, stopped the Los Angeles Lakers for the second time in a row, this time by a 102-98 score last night at the Forum. Ten days earlier, it was 88-84 in Portland. The division-leading Lakers are now 10-2 in their last 12 games with both losses coming at the hands of the Blazers. In the first meeting between the two teams this season, Portland lost, 120-119, in overtime at the Forum. The fourth meeting is scheduled in the Rose Garden on April 20, the final game of the season. The Blazers jumped to a 34-25 first quarter lead, were up 60-44 at halftime then had to hold off a determined Laker rally down the stretch to claim the victory. L.A. never led in the game after the first three minutes. Isaiah Rider tallied a team-high 30 points as all five Portland starters scored in double figures in the physical contest. Rider made 15 of 18 free throws, both career highs and the most Blazers makes and attempts from the line ever against the Lakers. Portland shot 49 percent (33-67) and Los Angeles 43 percent (33-76). The Blazers had a 40-37 rebounding edge. Shaquille O Neal led the Lakers with 33 points. BLAZERS TRAIL --- Portland, with a 10-9 road record, is one of only three Western Conference teams on the plus side away from home and one of only seven league-wide . . . The Blazers have won their last eight games in Western Conference action and at 18-10 against teams in the West, have the conference s fifth best record. BACK-TO-BACKS --- Tuesday s game with the Clippers opens the 11th of 21 back-to-back sets of games on the Blazers 1996-97 schedule and starts a run of three back-to-back combinations in a span of nine days. Wednesday, Portland journeys to Seattle to meet the Sonics, has a day off, then goes back-to-back against the Suns in Phoenix on Friday and at home Saturday against Minnesota. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, the Blazers are on the road at Toronto and Detroit. The Blazers are 10-10 in back-to-backs thus far, 5-5 in first games and 2-1 when the first game takes place at home. 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. 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. THE COMMUNITY CORNER ANDERSON S ASSISTS COUNTING UP --- Point guard Kenny Anderson has now dished out 262 assists for the season (6.7 per game, 17th best in the league). That means $5,240 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, a volunteer organization of hundreds of grade and high school students throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. DUDLEY, SMITH HELP KIDS FITNESS PROGRAM --- Center Chris Dudley and Mick Smith, Trail Blazers strength and conditioning coach, are teaming with G.I. Joe s and Nautilus Plus to present the G.I. Joe s Physical Fitness Program for youth in Oregon and southwest Washington. The 12-week program, which kicks off this month, aims to assist physical education teachers in grades one through eight to encourage their students to be involved in lifetime fitness activities. Smith and the Blazers have published an 18-page G.I. Joe s Physical Fitness Program workbook with specific routines to help teachers develop the program during the 12 weeks. Dudley and Smith have also produced a videotape demonstrating the various exercises and tests the program prescribes. INAUGURAL SCOUT NIGHT JANUARY 25 --- The Blazers inaugural Scout Night is coming Saturday, Jan. 25, when Portland hosts Minnesota. A variety of events are planned for Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts from the Cascade Region before and after the game. The scout troops and packs will sit in a special reserved section, a Boy Scout color guard will participate in the opening ceremonies. Reservations are due no later than January 22. Contact Tony Cesarano at the Blazers, 797-9765, for more information. 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. All 20 Blazers home games thus far have been in the 20,000-plus category with the average attendance through Sunday s game at 20,430. Charlotte is averaging 24,042 and Chicago 23,828. ROSE GARDEN RANKS NO. 2 --- In its first year, the Blazers Rose Garden finished as the North America s second-highest money-making concert venue behind only the Palace at Auburn Hills near Detroit. The rating, done by Performance Magazine based on arenas with 20,000 or more seats, showed the Rose Garden staged 47 shows with a total attendance of 510,275 and gross revenue of $12.5 million. Other arenas in the top 10 included New Jersey s Continental Airlines Arena (No. 3), Target Center in Minneapolis (No. 5), General Motors Place in Vancouver (No. 6), Boston s Fleet Center (No. 9) and Chicago s United Center (No. 10). 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 109-93, 54.0%. 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. SEATTLE TOMORROW NIGHT --- The Trail Blazers are back in action tomorrow night in Seattle (7 p.m., KEX Radio, KGW-TV), meeting the Western Conference champions in the second stop of a four-games-in-five nights slate. On Friday, they travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns (6 p.m., KEX Radio), then return home Saturday to host Minnesota (7 p.m., KEX Radio). THE PLAYERS KENNY ANDERSON --- Sunday vs. Utah: Game-high 26 pts (7-15 fgs, 4-6 3pt, 8-11 fts), team-high 7 assists, 2 rbs, only 1 turnover, 42 minutes . . . Friday vs. Toronto: 17 pts, game-high 9 assists, 5 rbs, 3 steals . . . Thursday at Lakers: 16 pts, team-high 6 assists, 1 rb, 39 minutes (seventh double-double, eighth double-figure assists game) . . . His assists-to-turnovers ratio of 3.59 is the NBA s fourth highest . . . Scored a season-high 34 pts in a season-high 49 minutes Dec. 13 at the Lakers . . . Scored 32 points vs. Houston Nov. 26 . . . Has led team in scoring 11 times and in assists 24 times . . . Team s leading scorer at 18.1 ppg, the assists leader (6.7 avg.) and tops in steals (1.87 avg.) . . . Ranks 31st in the NBA in scoring, 17th in assists, and 10th 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 . . . Last game at Clippers: Tied for high-game honors with 25 pts, tied for team rb honors with 8, 1 assist, 3 steals, 38 minutes. MITCHELL BUTLER --- Sunday vs. Utah: Did not play (coach s decision) . . . Friday vs. Toronto: 0 pts, 3 minutes . . . Thursday at Lakers: Did not play (coach s decision) . . . Had season highs of 13 points, 8 rebounds, 33 minutes Jan. 14 vs. Detroit . . . Activiated Dec. 13 after spending previous five games on injured list (tendenitis, 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 . . . Last game at Clippers: 6 pts, 3 rbs, 1 steal, 13 minutes. MARCUS BROWN --- Sunday vs. Utah: 0 pts (0-2 fts), 4 minutes . . . Did not play (coach s decision) in previous seven 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 . . . Last game Clippers: Did not play (coach s decision). RANDOLPH CHILDRESS --- Did not play (coach s decision) in last four games . . . 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 game at Clippers: 0 pts, 6 minutes. CHRIS DUDLEY --- Sunday vs. Utah: 4 pts (2-2 fgs), 5 rbs, 25 minutes. . . Friday vs. Toronto: 6 pts, 5 rbs, 19 minutes . . . Thursday at Lakers: 2 pts, shared team honors with 8 rbs, 1 block, 18 minutes before fouling out for the first time this season with 5:59 remaining in the game . . . 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 (7.0 rpg) and leader in blocked shots (1.44) despite starting just two games thus far . . . Ranks 22nd in the league in blocks . . . Blazers leader in rebounds and blocks last two seasons . . . 10th year in the league, the team s longest tenured player . . . Played in his 600th NBA game Friday versus Toronto and has played in all but two of the last 200 games . . . 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 game at Clippers: 3 pts, 3 rbs, 4 blocked shots, 21 minutes. REGGIE JORDAN --- Placed on injured list Dec. 27 with non-displaced, oblique fracture of third metacarpal in left hand---cast came off last week, expected to return in four to six weeks . . . Injury occured 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 and was a starter in the 1996 CBA All-Star Game. AARON McKIE --- Sunday vs. Utah: 0 pts (0-1 3pt), 4 assists, 3 rbs, 2 steals, 11 minutes . . . Friday vs. Toronto: 0 pts, 2 rbs, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 11 minutes . . . Thursday at Lakers: 0 pts, 5 rbs, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 13 minutes . . . Played a season-high 41 minutes, scoring 7 points and dishing out 5 assists vs. Orlando Dec. 10 . . . Played in his 120th consecutive game Sunday, 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 game at Clippers: 0 pts, 5 rbs, 2 assists, 18 minutes. JERMAINE O NEAL --- Sunday vs. Utah: Did not play (coach s decision) . . . Friday vs. Toronto: 2 pts, 1 rb, 6 minutes . . . Thursday at Lakers: 1 pt, 3 rbs, 1 assist, 6 minutes . . . Scored a career-high 10 pts in 11 minutes vs. Detroit Jan. 14, and received the first technical of his career at the 7:02 mark of the 2nd quarter for hanging on the rim after an awesome dunk. . . 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 . . . 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. . . . Last game at Clippers: 7 pts, 6 rbs, 1 block, 19 minutes. ISAIAH RIDER --- Sunday vs. Utah: 21 pts (8-16 fgs, 1-3 pt, 4-4 fts), 5 rbs, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 39 minutes . . . Friday vs. Toronto: Team-high 23 pts, 6 rbs, 1 assist, 40 minutes . . . Thursday at Lakers: Team-high 30 pts, 2 rbs, 3 assists . . . the 15 free throws in 18 attempts both career highs (old highs 14 and 16), and were the most ever by a Blazer against the Lakers . . . Averaged 21.6 ppg and scored 17 points or more in his last 11 outings . . . In last four games has averaged 24.0 ppg and shot .532 (33-62) from the floor . . . 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 conditonal 1st round draft choice . . . Minnesota s 1993 first round draft choice (5th overall) from UNLV . . . Averaged 18.8 points 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 . . . Last game at Clippers: 20 pts, 7 rbs, 2 assists, season-high 4 steals, 35 minutes. CLIFFORD ROBINSON --- Sunday vs. Utah: 17 pts (7-16 fgs, 3-9 3pt, 0-1 fts), 4 rbs, 1 assist, 1 steal, 42 minutes . . . Friday vs. Toronto: 12 pts, 6 rbs, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 40 minutes . . . Thursday at Lakers: 18 points---13 in the first quarter, 4 rbs, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 42 minutes . . . Poured in his 400th career three-pointer Dec. 12 versus Vancouver . . . Robinson has atleast one long-ranger in 33 of 38 games this season and ranks third all-time among Blazers long-range shooters behind only Terry Porter and Clyde Drexler . . . 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 18th in the NBA in minutes played (38.9) . . . Leading scorer the past two seasons . . . Averaged 21.1 points in 1995-96, league s 16th highest . . . Participated in his 600th game as a Blazer Friday against Toronto . . . Now fifth among Portland s all-time scoring leaders with 9,760 points . . . Ranks in top ten in 16 of 17 career categories . . . Only remaining Blazer from the 1990 and 1992 Western Conference Championship teams . . . Last game at Clippers: 19 pts, 4 rbs, 1 steal, 40 minutes. ARVYDAS SABONIS --- Sunday vs. Utah: 22 pts (6-10 fgs, 1-3 3pt, 9-11 fts), tied for team rebound honors with 7, 5 assists, 1 steal, career high-equalling 41 minutes . . . Friday vs. Toronto: 14 pts, 9 rbs, 2 blocks, 29 minutes . . . Thursday at Lakers: 11 pts, 6 rbs, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 24 minutes . . . Has led Blazers in scoring on 8 occasions, in rebounding 21 times, and assists 3 times . . . Leads team in double-doubles with 11 . . . Scored career-high 33 points and had career high-equalling 11 field goals (on 14 attempts) and 8 free throws on a career-high 14 fts, plus a team-high 12 In the Jan. 4 win at Dallas . . . In past 13 games has averaged 9.8 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 (1.36) . . . Stands 23th in NBA field goal accuracy at .495 (183-370) and 24th in blocks . . On the NBA s All-Rookie first team last season, the first Blazer to make it 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 . . . Gained his third Olympic Games medal during the summer in helping Lithuania to the Bronze at Atlanta . . . Last game at Clippers: 15 pts, tied for team-high rb honors with 8, 3 assists, 29 minutes. GARY TRENT --- Sunday vs. Utah: 1 pt (0-2 fgs, 1-2 fts), 3 rbs, 1 assist, 1 block, 16 minutes---slowed by bruised sternum suffered in Thursday s win at Los Angeles . . . . Probable for Tuesday . . . Friday vs. Toronto: 9 pts, 7 rbs, 3 assists, 26 minutes . . . Thursday at Lakers: 17 pts, shared team rb honors with 8, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 41 minutes . . . Portland 8-3 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 . . . 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 . . . Ranks 13th in the NBA in field goal accuracy (.517 on 152-294) . . . 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 . . . Last game at Clippers: 7 pts, 5 rbs, 1 assist, 21 minutes in his third start of the season. 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 . . . Last game at Clippers: On injured list. DONTONIO WINGFIELD --- Sunday vs. Utah: Equalled season high with 11 pts (4-6 fgs, 2-2 3pt, 1-2 fts), team high-equalling 7 rbs, 1 assist, 1 block, 20 minutes . . . Friday vs. Toronto: 9 pts, 5 rbs, 3 assists, 22 minutes . . . Thursday at Lakers: 7 pts, 3 rbs, 2 assists, 13 minutes . . . Scored season-high 11 pts, tied career-high with 9 rbs and played a season-high 27 minutes vs. the Lakers Jan. 6 . . . Placed on injured list Dec. 13 (sprained left thumb suffered in Dec. 12 game with Vancouver) . . . 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 game at Clippers: On injured list.