PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS at MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES GAME NO. 47 --- FEBRUARY 2, 1997 Record: Overall---25-20, Home---14-8, Road---11-12 A BIG ONE IN MINNESOTA --- The Trail Blazers, 25-21, will be looking to break out of a three-game losing streak when they meet the Timberwolves for the final time this season Sunday in the Target Center. The Blazers, who saw an 18-point halftime lead evaporate in a 111-105 loss at Boston Friday, will be battling to avoid coming up empty on a four-game Eastern swing which ends with Sunday's stop at Minnesota. Portland hasn t gone winless on an Eastern road trip since 1986-87 and its been 17 seasons since it was 0-4 on a four-game trek east of the Mississippi. The Blazers, who had won 11 of 14 before heading out on the current trip on Tuesday, can avoid extending their losing streak to a season's longest four in a row with a win over the Wolves. A victory Sunday also would give Portland the season's series with Minnesota, 3-1. The Blazers have won all seven previous season's matchups with the Central Division club. After losing to Boston Friday, the Blazers are three wins better than a year ago after 46 games. Portland finished January with a 9-7 record, the 11th time in the last 12 years it has finished on the plus side for the month. The Blazers, with a 21-11 mark in Western Conference play, have more wins than any team in the West and overall own the conference's fifth best record, and the third best in the Pacific Division. Portland has a 13-4 record against Midwest Division teams, including a 5-3 mark in road games. PROBABLE STARTERS --- F-- No. 3 Clifford Robinson (6-10), F--No. 33 Gary Trent (6-8), C--No. 24 Chris Dudley (6-11), G--No. 34 Isaiah Rider (6-5), G--No. 7 Kenny Anderson (6-1). BLAZERS ACQUIRE AUGMON --- Stacey Augmon, a 6-foot-8 forward-guard in his sixth NBA season, was acquired by the Trail Blazers last Friday from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for guards Randolph Childress, Aaron McKie and Reggie Jordan. Also on Friday, Portland signed veteran guard and former Trail Blazer Ennis Whately to a 10-day contract. On Thursday this week, Ruben Nembhard, a 6-3 guard who played in eight games for the Utah Jazz this season, was also signed to a 10-day contract. (See Player Notes for profiles.) INJURY REPORT --- Arvydas Sabonis was placed on the injured list (hematoma, left calf) on Friday and will be out at least five games. The injury occurred with 7:15 remaining in Wednesday's game at Seattle . . . Rasheed Wallace (fractured left thumb), is on injured list for his 19th game (sixth week). THE BLAZERS-WOLVES SERIES --- Portland won the last meeting between the two teams, has captured 16 of the last 17 and overall leads the eight-year series between the two teams, 28-3. The Timberwolves pulled out a 100-97 victory on the Trail Blazers last visit to the Target Center in November, ending a seven-year Portland domination in Minnesota. The Blazers had won all 14 previous clashes on the Wolves floor. In Portland, the Blazers are 13-2 against the Wolves and have won eight straight. SO FAR THIS SEASON --- Portland has won two of three matchups with Minnesota this season. The Blazers edged the Wolves, 95-94, in overtime in the Rose Garden on Nov. 7, and posted a 101-94 success eight days ago, also in their own building. In between, the Timberwolves broke a 14-game Portland win streak in the Target Center with a 100-97 victory. In the first meeting, Kenny Anderson's off-balance fall-away jumper in the paint at the buzzer clinched the OT win for the Blazers. In the Nov. 12 loss in Minneapolis, Portland charged back from a 13-point third quarter deficit to pull within three but could never get over the hump in losing its first game ever on the Wolves floor. The Blazers outscored Minnesota 49-35 in the second half enroute to their 11th win in 14 games. In the three meetings to date, Portland has outscored the Wolves, 97.7-96.0, outrebounded them 45.0-41.7 and shot 42% from the field compared with Minnesota's 44%. Rasheed Wallace, with a 20.0 average in two games, and Isaiah Rider, 19.0 in three, have led the Blazers' scoring attack. Tom Gugliotta (25.5 points in two games) and Kevin Garnett (21.0 in three) were the Wolves' top scorers. UP STEPS TRENT --- When 6-10 power forward Rasheed Wallace, the team's fourth leading scorer (15.2 ppg) and the NBA's field goal percentage leader (.588), went down with a broken thumb in the Dec. 23 Washington game, into the gap stepped Gary Trent---big time! In the 18 games since Trent moving into the starting rotation, he has averaged 14.5 points but more impressively has converted at a .583 rate from the field (105-180) and .797 from the free throw line and three times in the last six games has posted career-high 24 point totals. In his last seven outings, Trent has burned the nets on 51 of 76 field goal attempts (.671) and has averaged 18.4 points a game. ON OFFENSE --- The Blazers have the ninth most productive offense in the league, averaging 98.2 points a contest . . . In winning 25 games, the Blazers margin of victory has been 13.1 ppg, with the cushion being 10 or more points in 13 games and 20 or more six times . . . Portland's overall point margin of +3.1 is the league's 11th best . . . The Blazers field goal accuracy mark of .458 is the 11th highest in the league . . . They have topped 50 percent field goal shooting 11 times . . . Of the Blazers 21 losses, 13 have been by six points or less, seven have been by three or under, and four have been one-pointers . . . Portland is 13-7 in games decided by 10 points or more but 6-9 when the margin is four points or under and 2-6 when its two or under. ON DEFENSE . . . Portland has the eighth toughest defense in the league to shoot against, holding foes to .434 field goal accuracy in 46 games . . . Twelve times they have kept opponents below the 40 percent mark and 26 times below 45 percent . . . In winning 25 games, the Blazers have held 21 opponents under 100 points and overall have allowed only 14 of 46 to top the century mark . . . Their defensive average, 95.1, is the league's 14th lowest. ON THE BOARDS --- Portland has outrebounded 37 of 46 opponents this season and nine times has claimed 50 or more misses in a game . . . The Blazers lead the NBA in total rebounding percentage---the share of total misses in a game a team rebounds---(.529), are third in defensive rebounding percentage (.720) and fourth in offensive percentage (.337) . . . The Blazers have an overall advantage of 5.9 boards per game and a 4.6 per game margin on the defensive glass . . . Among the top five rebounding teams in the league for the past nine years, Portland again is the leader despite not having an individual among the league's top 30. AMONG THE NBA LEADERS ---RASHEED WALLACE, 1st in field goal percentage---.588 (170-289) ---GARY TRENT, 5th in field goal percentage---.549 (203-370) ---ARVYDAS SABONIS, 26th in field goal percentage---.491 (195-397) and 23rd in blocked shots (1.34) ---KENNY ANDERSON , 13th in assists (7.0), is 15th in steals (1.83), 32nd in scoring (17.5), 35th in 3-point accuracy, .374 (73-195), 32nd in minutes played (37.9) ---CHRIS DUDLEY, 19th in blocked shots (1.46) ---CLIFFORD ROBINSON, 26th in minutes played (38.5), 36th in blocked shots (0.89) THE LAST THREE GAMES LEAD FLEES IN FLEET CENTER --- A 62-44 halftime lead didn t hold up for the Trail Blazers Friday as Boston came from behind in the final minute to post a 111-105 victory in the Fleet Center. The setback was Portland's third in a row, equalling its longest run of the season without a win. After putting a season-best 62 points on the board in the first two quarters and still owning a nine-point lead with 5:35 remaining in the game, 94-85, the Blazers were outscored 26-11 down the stretch. The Celtics 63 points in the second has was an opponent season high versus Portland. Gary Trent led the Blazers with 24 points, the third time in six games he has equalled his career best. Rick Fox had a career-high 33 points to top Boston. Portland shot 49% (43-88) to Boston's 44% (41-93), but turned the ball over 22 times for 26 points compared with the Celtics 14 TOs (13 points). Dontonio Wingfield s career-high 12 rebounds paced Portland to a 48-44 advantage on the boards. COMING UP SHORT --- The Blazers jumped to an early 24-6 lead but it didn't hold up as they scored only 35 points in the middle two quarters and fell to Detroit in the Palace of Auburn Hills, 98-89, on Wednesday. The setback, Portland's second straight on its four-game Eastern road swing, allowed the Pistons to gain a split in the season series. Six Blazers scored in double figures in the game, led by Kenny Anderson's 14 points; Portland outshot Detroit from the field (48% to 43%) and had four more field goals (33-29) but still came up short. Grant Hill and Joe Dumars paced the Pistons with 27 and 20 points respectively. For the second straight game, the Blazers were outrebounded, this time 39-34. Chris Dudley had 10 boards to lead the Blazers effort. SNOWBALLED IN TORONTO --- The Trail Blazers shooting was as cold as the Canadian winter outside the SkyDome last night. Result: Portland lost for the second time in 12 days to the Toronto Raptors, this time by a 120-84 score. It was the biggest loss margin by a Blazers team in 10 years, going back to Jan. 1, 1987 (Lakers 140-104). Portland, opening a four-game Eastern road swing, had six players score in double figures led by Isaiah Rider's 16 points, but shot only 39% from the field (33-85) while the Raptors were hitting at a 50% clip (41-82). Toronto's Doug Christie led all scorers with 33 points, 17 of them in the first quarter. The Blazers fell behind 35-25 after the first 12 minutes and were behind, 73-39 at intermission. The Raptors outrebounded Portland, 46-43, and swatted away 16 Blazers shots (a franchise record). Portland came up with 15 blocks of its own (two shy of the team's all-time mark) and the two teams combined for a Blazers record 31 rejections. BLAZERS MILESTONES --- Clifford Robinson has moved past Geoff Petrie as Portland's fifth all-time leading scorer and now, with 9,893 points, needs 107 more to become only the fifth Trail Blazer to reach the 10,000 mark. The others are Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey and Jim Paxson . . . Robinson needs just three more games to pass Larry Steele in fifth place on Portland's all-time games played list. Going into Sunday's game, Robinson has played in 608 of a possible 620 games during his seven-plus years as a Blazer. . . Kenny Anderson's season-high 15 assists at Phoenix on Jan. 24 allowed him to reach the 3,000 plateau in his career . . . Robinson and Chris Dudley both played in their 600th NBA game Jan. 17 versus Toronto. CHRIS DUDLEY, STEVE YOUNG . . . --- Blazers center Chris Dudley has been named one of five recipients of USA Weekend magazine's fourth annual Most Caring Athlete Awards. Other 1997 honorees who are being recognized by the magazine for their humanitarian efforts off the field are 49er quarterback Steve Young, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Curt Schilling, LPGA golfer Val Skinner and tennis star Chanda Rubin. Dudley, 1996 winner of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association, was recognized by USA Weekend for work among children and young adults. Diagnosed as a diabetic when he was 16, Dudley's charitable work includes a $100,000 gift to Oregon's Gales Creek Camp for diabetic youth; $300,000 to the I Have a Dream Foundation to sponsor college scholarships for 76 at-risk pupils at Portland's Vernon Elementary School when they finish high school, and last summer sponsoring Oregon's first basketball camp for diabetics. ANDERSON'S ASSISTS COUNTING UP --- Kenny Anderson has now dished out 322 assists for the season (7.1 per game, 13th best in the league). That means $6,440 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 grade and high school students throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. 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 passes the midway point. All 22 Blazers home games thus far have been in the 20,000-plus category with total attendance 428,741 and the average through Tuesday's game 20,457. 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 Detroit's Palace at Auburn Hills. 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 113-97, 53.8%. Last season, Carlesimo guided Portland to a 44-38 record for the second year in a row. BULLS NEXT --- After completing their four-game eastern road swing Sunday, the Blazer return home Tuesday, to face the World Champion Chicago Bulls (7 p.m., KEX Radio, BlazerVision) before taking a six-day All-Star Weekend break. They come back from the break Tuesday, Jan. 11 to host Phoenix in the Rose Garden (7 p.m., KEX Radio, BlazerVision) then travel to Utah Thursday (6 p.m., KEX Radio). THE PLAYERS KENNY ANDERSON --- Friday at Boston: 13 pts (5-15 fgs, 2-4 3pt, 1-3 fts), team-best 6 assists, 6 rbs, 3 steals, 41 minutes . . . Wednesday at Detroit: Team-high 14 pts, 4 assists, 5 rbs, 26 minutes before being ejected at the 10:17 mark of 4th quarter after receiving his 2nd technical . . . Tuesday at Raptors: 13 pts, 5 assists, 6 rbs, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 33 minutes . . . Jan. 25 vs. Wolves: 19 pts, 3 rbs, 8 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 47 minutes . . . Dished out a season-high 15 assists, scored 22 pts and had only 1 TO in 43 minutes at Phoenix last Friday ---his ninth double-double, his 10th double-figure assist game and 18th time at +20 points . . . Tuesday vs. Clippers: 15 pts, 4 rbs, 12 assists, 3 steals, 36 minutes . . . 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 12 times and in assists 28 times . . . Team's leading scorer at 17.5 ppg, the assists leader (7.0 avg.) and tops in steals (1.84 avg.) . . . Ranks 32nd in the NBA in scoring, 13th in assists, 15th in steals, 32nd in minutes played (37.9) . . . 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 . . . vs. Minnesota this season: Averaged 18.3 pts, 6.3 assists, 3.3 rbs, 2.7 steals, 42.0 minutes in three starts. STACEY AUGMON --- Friday at Boston: 0 pts (0-3 fgs), 2 rbs, 1 block, 9 minutes. . . Wednesday at Detroit: 0 pts, 1 assist, 7 minutes . . . Tuesday at Raptors: 4 pts, 1 rb, 1 assist, 1 steal, 16 minutes . . . Jan. 25 vs. Wolves: 2 pts, 1 rb, 5 minutes . . . Acquired Jan. 24 from Detroit in exchange for guards Randolph Childress, Reggie Jordan and Aaron McKie (joined team Saturday) . . . In 20 games with the Pistons, averaged 4.5 pts, 2.5 rbs and 14.6 minutes . . . Played his first five NBA seasons with Atlanta before being traded to Detroit last summer along with Grant Long for a conditional 1998 1st round draft pick, and second round picks in 1997 and 1998 . . . In five seasons with Atlanta, played 390 games, starting 355, and averaged 13.7 pts, 4.5 rbs, 2.3 assists, 1.46 steals and 30.5 minutes . . . Has registered 100 or more steals in four of his first five seasons . . . A 1992 All-NBA Rookie first team selection . . . Scored the NBA's 6 millionth point March 23, 1992 against Golden State . . . Had a career-high 36 points versus the Blazers on Jan. 3, 1995 . . . The youngest member of the bronze medal-winning U.S. team at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul . . . Played on two NCAA Final Four teams at UNLV, including the Runnin Rebels 1990 NCAA championship club . . . vs. Minnesota this season: Had 2 pts, 1 rb in 7 minutes of Game 3 after joining the team the day before. MARCUS BROWN --- Friday at Boston: 0 pts (0-3 fgs, 0-1 3pt), 7 minutes . . . Wednesday at Detroit: Career-high 13 pts, 2 rbs, 1 assist, 1 steal, career-high 16 minutes . . . Tuesday at Raptors: 0 pts, 2 minutes . . . Jan. 25 vs. Wolves: 0 pts, 1 minute . . . 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 . . . vs. Minnesota this season: Averaged 0.7 pts, 4.0 minutes in three games. MITCHELL BUTLER --- Friday at Boston: 0 pts (0-2 fgs, 0-1 3pt), 1 assist, 7 minutes . . . Wednesday at Detroit: 5 pts, 2 rbs, 1 assist, 1 steal, 20 minutes before fouling for first time this season (and 2nd time in his career) . . . Tuesday at Raptors: 11 pts, 1 block, 12 minutes . . . Jan. 25 vs. Wolves: 2 pts, 7 minutes . . . Had season highs of 13 points, 8 rebounds, 33 minutes Jan. 14 vs. Detroit . . . Activated Dec. 13 after spending 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 . . . vs. Minnesota this season: Scoreless in 1 minute of Game 3. On injured list for previous two outings. CHRIS DUDLEY --- Friday at Boston: 8 pts (3-5 fgs, 2-2 fts), 8 rbs, 1 block, in 19 foul-limited minutes . . . Wednesday at Detroit: 7 pts, team-high 10 rbs, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 36 minutes . . . Tuesday at Raptors: Season-high 12 pts, team-high 9 rbs, 1 assist, 3 blocks, 34 minutes . . . Jan. 25 vs. Wolves: 2 pts, game-high 12 rbs, 1 block, 33 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 (7.2 rpg) and leader in blocked shots (1.46) despite starting just seven games . . . Ranks 19th 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 last Friday versus Toronto and has played in all but two of the last 206 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 . . . . . . . vs. Minnesota this season: Averaged 4.0 pts, 7.7 rbs, 1.7 blocks, in three games, including one start. RUBEN NEMBHARD --- Friday at Boston: Did not play (coach's decision) . . . Signed to 10-day contract on Friday . . . Played 8 games for Utah after signing consecutive 10-day contracts through Jan. 26 . . . Averaged 4.0 pts, 1.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 11.8 minutes for Jazz . . . Prior to joining Utah club on Jan. 6, played 18 games with Yakima in the CBA where he averaged 18.0 pts, 4.9 assists, 2.3 steals and was selected to play in the CBA All-Star game and was the league's Player of the Week on Nov. 23 . . . Played in Europe during the 1995-96 season . . . His senior season at Weber State, was selected Big Sky Conference Player of the Year while leading the BSC in scoring (19.9 ppg), steals (2.3 per game) and was the league s top rebounding guard (5.1 rpg). JERMAINE O NEAL --- Friday at Boston: 7 pts (3-5 fgs, 1-2 fts), 6 rbs, 1 assist, 2 blocks . . . Wednesday at Detroit: 10 pts, 1 block, 16 minutes . . . Tuesday at Raptors: 4 pts, matched career high with 6 rbs, plus 2 blocks, 20 minutes . . . Jan. 25 vs. Wolves: 3 pts, 4 rbs, 1 block, 10 minutes . . . Scored carrer-high 20 pts, tied career high with 6 rbs, 2 blocked shots, in career-high 25 minutes last Jan. 22 at Seattle . . . Scored 10 pts in 11 minutes vs. Detroit Jan. 14. . . Had a career-high 3 blocks vs. San Antonio, Dec. 29 . . . 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 pro 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. . . . vs. Minnesota this season: 3 pts, 4 rbs, 1 block in 10 minutes of Game 3. On injured list for previous two games. ISAIAH RIDER --- Friday at Boston: 18 pts (8-15 fgs, 2-2 3pt), 5 rbs, 2 assists, 2 steals, 38 minutes . . . Wednesday at Detroit: 12 pts, 6 rbs, 2 assists, 41 minutes before fouling out for 1st time this season and 6th time in his career. . . Tuesday at Raptors: Team-high 16 points, 7 rbs, team-high 6 assists, 1 block, 32 minutes . . . Jan. 25 vs. Wolves: Team-high 26 pts, 6 rbs, 2 assists, 1 steal, 38 minutes . . . Made 15 of 18 free throws, both career highs, while scoring 30 points in Jan. 16 win at Lakers (the free throw makes and attempts were the most ever by a Blazer vs. L.A.) . . . Has averaged 20.8 ppg in his last 16 outings . . . Grabbed 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 in 229 games for the Wolves in three seasons . . . 1993-94 NBA All-Rookie First Team . . . Winner of the Gatorade Slam-Dunk title at the 1994 NBA All-Star Weekend . . . vs. Minnesota this season: Averaged 19.0 pts, 4.7 rbs, 2.0 assists, 0.7 steals, 34.7 minutes in three starts. CLIFFORD ROBINSON --- Friday at Boston: 21 pts (8-14 fgs, 3-6 3pt, 2-2 fts), 4 rbs, 4 assists, 1 block, 43 minutes. . . Wednesday at Detroit: 11 pts, 1 rb, team-high 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 34 minutes . . . Tuesday at Raptors: 11 pts, 4 rbs, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 30 minutes . . . Jan. 25 vs. Wolves: 15 pts, 5 rbs, matched career high with 9 assists, 2 steals, 36 minutes before fouling out, the second straight DQ and the 34th of his career, fourth highest on the all-time Blazers list . . . Grabbed season-high 9 rbs and had 23 pts Tuesday vs. Clippers . . . Poured in his 400th career three-pointer Dec. 12 versus Vancouver . . . Robinson has at least one trey in 40 of 46 games this season and with 435 stands 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 26th in the NBA in minutes played (38.5) . . . 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 Jan. 17 against Toronto . . . Now fifth among Portland's all-time scoring leaders with 9,893 points . . . Ranks in top ten in 16 of 17 career categories . . . vs. Minnesota this season: Averaged 11.7 pts, 3.7 rbs, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, 37.3 minutes in three starts. ARVYDAS SABONIS --- Placed on the injured list Jan. 24 because a hemotoma (deeply bruised) left calf sustained in a fourth quarter collision in Jan. 22 game at Seattle . . . Tallied 22 pts in a career high-equalling 41 minutes Jan. 19 vs. Utah. . . 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 . . . 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 (8.1 rpg) and second in blocked shots (1.34) . . . 26th in NBA field goal accuracy at .491 (195-397) and 23rd 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 . . . . . . . vs. Minnesota this season: Averaged 12.5 pts, 12.5 rbs, 2.0 assists, 2.0 blocks, 27.5 minutes in two games. On injured list for Game 3. GARY TRENT --- Friday at Boston: Team-high 24 pts (10-17 fgs, 0-1 3pt, 4-4 fts), 5 rbs, 2 assists, 1 block, 34 minutes---third time tied career-high points in six games . . . Wednesday at Detroit: 13 pts, 6 rbs, 1 assist, 2 steals, 30 minutes . . . Tuesday at Raptors: 13 pts, 4 rbs, 2 blocks, 26 minutes . . . Jan. 25 vs. Wolves: 18 pts, 7 rbs, 1 steal, 38 minutes. . . Jan. 24 at Suns: Career and game-high 24 pts (10-14 fgs), and tied career high with 13 rbs in 36 minutes --- 10 field goals also a career high . . . In his last seven games has blistered the nets at a 67% clip (51-76), raising his season field goal percentage to .549, the league's fifth best mark . . . Scored career-high 24 pts (9-11 fgs, 6-6 fts) in 32 minutes at Seattle Wednesday . . . Played a career-high 44 minutes and scored 19 points Jan. 2 at Houston . . . 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 . . . . . . . vs. Minnesota this season: Averaged 9.3 pts, 5.0 rbs, 21.0 minutes in three games including one start. 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 . . . vs. Minnesota this season: Averaged 20.0 pts, 6.0 rbs, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 36.0 minutes in two games. ENNIS WHATLEY --- Friday at Boston: Did not play (coach's decision) . . . Wednesday at Detroit: 4 pts, 1 assist, 7 minutes . . . Tuesday at Raptors: 0 pts, 2 rbs, 2 assists, 13 minutes in his first appearance this season . . . Signed to a 10-day contract on Friday, Jan. 24 . . . Had been playing for Connecticut in the CBA where he was averaging 15.2 points (team's 4th highest), and 9.5 assists (the CBA's 2nd highest) in 26 games, while shooting .540 from the field . . . Is making his second appearance as a Trail Blazer . . . Was a member of the 1991-92 Western Conference Champions that took Chicago to six games in the NBA Finals . . . Has played for six teams---Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland and Atlanta---in the NBA over nine seasons after being the Bulls' second pick (13th) overall in the 1983 NBA Draft . . . Averaged 5.6 pts, 4.5 assists and 18.5 minutes in 382 previous NBA games . . . As a rookie point guard with the Bulls in 1983-84, distributed 662 assists (8.3 avg.), 8th best in the league. . . vs. Minnesota this season: Did not play (coach's decision) in Game 3 after joining team the previous day. DONTONIO WINGFIELD --- Friday at Boston: 14 pts (6-9 fgs, 2-3 3pt), career-high 12 rbs (old high 9 twice last year), 2 assists, 2 blocks, 24 minutes . . . Wednesday at Detroit: 0 pts, 7 minutes . . . Tuesday at Raptors: 0 pts, 4 rbs, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 22 minutes . . . Jan. 25 vs. Wolves: 14 pts, 5 rbs, 1 steal, 25 minutes . . . Scored season-high 16 points at Phoenix Jan. 24 . . . Played 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 . . . vs. Minnesota this season: Averaged 7.7 pts, 4.0 rbs, 0.3 assists, 0.3 steals, 16.0 minutes in three games. John Christensen Chuck Charnquist ************************************************************ Send subscribe/unsubscribe messages to majordomo@ripcity.com ************************************************************