PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS vs. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS GAME NO. 65---FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 1997 Record: Overall---36-28, Home---23-10, Road---13-18 KEEPING IT GOING --- The Trail Blazers, 36-28, will be looking to extend the NBA's longest current winning streak to eight in a row when they entertain the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Rose Garden Friday. Portland can equal its longest winning streak in six seasons with a win over the Cavs and at that same time push its season best homecourt streak to seven in a row. The last time the Blazers won eight straight was the opening of the 1992-93 season. Friday s contest will be the closer of the season series with Cleveland. The Cavaliers prevailed in the first meeting in Cleveland in November, 81-70. At 36-28, the Blazers are six wins better than they were a year ago after 64 outings, and are eight games over .500, the farthest they have been above the break-even mark since the 1994-95 season (36-28 on March 21). Portland, the youngest team in the league in both age and experience, comes into the Cleveland game with the fifth best mark in the Western Conference and is in a stretch run to a league-best 15th consecutive post-season appearance and its 20th playoff berth in the last 21 years. Since the start of the current seven-game winning streak on Feb. 28 (a 115-105 victory over Utah), the Blazers have outscored their opponents by an average of 11.3 points a game, pounded out a 7.0 margin on the glass, shot 51.5% from the field and 44.4% from-three point range. PROBABLE STARTERS --- F-- No. 3 Clifford Robinson (6-10), F--No. 30 Rasheed Wallace (6-10), C--No. 11 Arvydas Sabonis (7-3), G--No. 34 Isaiah Rider (6-5), G--No. 7 Kenny Anderson (6-1). RECENT TRANSACTIONS --- Forward Mitchell Butler was activated on Friday. The same day, guard Marcus Brown was placed on the injured list (strained left groin). On Thursday, Rumeal Robinson was signed for the remainder of the season after joining the team on a 10-day contract on Feb. 24. THE BLAZERS-CAVS SERIES --- Portland is ahead in its all-time matchup with the Cavaliers, 47-34, but lost the last time the two teams met and has dropped five of the last seven contests in the series. The Blazers last win was in the Rose Garden a year ago, 88-81. The Cavs were ungracious hosts when the two teams met in Gund Arena earlier this season, downing the Blazers 81-70. Portland has a 28-12 homecourt edge in the series, but has lost on two of the last three Cavalier visits here. Before that the Blazers had an eight game win streak going at home. The Cavs lead, 22-19, when the action is in Cleveland and have won three in a row. SO FAR THIS SEASON --- Portland recorded an all-time low 70 points in losing, 81-70, to the Cavaliers in snowbound Cleveland. The previous low was 72 in a 96-72 setback at Utah last year. It was the Blazers second loss on their Eastern trip and their third in the row on the road. Portland shot .378 from the field (28-74) and turned the ball over 21 times, leading to 31 points by the Cavs. The host team turned in a .416 shooting night (32-77). Isaiah Rider led the Blazers with 15 points. Danny Ferry had the same number for the Cavaliers. Portland had a 45-36 rebounding advantage, the seventh time in nine games the Blazers have grabbed more misses than their opponents. A HOT HAND --- The Blazers have fired at a 50% better clip in five of their last seven games and in three of them strung together their best field goal efforts of the season: 55.0% (44-80) vs. New Jersey Tuesday; 55.6% (45-81) vs. Philadelphia Sunday, and season-best 57.9% (44-76) last Friday vs. Utah . . . In the seven games (all wins) they combined to burn the nets at a 51.5% pace (284-551) . . . The Blazers are now 16-3 in games when they shoot 50% or better . . . For the season, Portland s field goal accuracy mark of .461 is ninth best in the league. MAKING THE DIFFERENCE --- The current season-best seven-game winning streak is a dramatic turnaround from the previous 14 outings when the Blazers won just four games. In the last seven contests, the Blazers have averaged 109.0 ppg and outscored their opponents by 11.3 a game, have grabbed a 7.0 rebounds per game edge and shot 51.5% from the field and 44.4% from long range. In the previous 14 games, they were outscored by 3.6 points a contest, outrebounded 1.0 per game while shooting 44.4% from the field and 33% from three-point range. Turnovers decreased by nearly three a game while opponent miscues increased by the same number in the two periods. Portland has gone over the 100-point mark in six of its seven most recent victories while topping the century mark only five times when going 4-10. On the opposite side, opponents have bettered 100 points just three times in the last seven games while going over that mark in 10 of the previous 14 contests. THE LAST TWO GAMES HOLDING OFF THE CLIPS --- After building a 19-point cushion early in the fourth quarter, the Blazers had to fight off a determined Los Angeles Clipper rally in the Rose Garden Tuesday to preserve a 109-105 victory. It was a season-best seventh win in a row, the longest current streak in the NBA, and equalled the team's longest in four seasons. Rasheed Wallace put 26 points on the board (on 11-of-15 field goals), to lead the Trail Blazers, who converted 50% of their shots (41-82). It was the fifth time in the seven-game run the team has fired at a 50% or better clip from the field. Los Angeles finished with a 44.3% effort from the floor (38-88). Rodney Rogers was the Clippers top man with 26 points. Arvydas Sabonis, who had 13 rebounds to go with his 14 points, led Portland s 48-35 domination of the backboards. It was the Blazers third straight win over the Clippers, clinching the season series. Portland hasn t lost a season series with the Clippers since 1973-74. A SONICS STOPPER --- Portland posted its season-best sixth straight victory and its fifth in a row at home, defeating Western Conference leader Seattle, 103-93, Sunday. Isaiah Rider, with a team-high 25 points on 9-of-14 field goal shooting, and Gary Trent s 23 points (10-of-11 field goals) and a team-high nine rebounds in 25 minutes of action, led the solid Blazers effort that saw the Sonics hold the lead only briefly and that midway through the second quarter. In all, six Portland players finished in double-figure scoring. Sonics guard Hersey Hawkins led all scorers in the game with 29 points. The Blazers shot 48% for the game (38-79) and Seattle 49% (38-78). Portland grabbed a big 47-32 rebounding advantage, including 21 off the offensive glass, and converted 22 second chance points to 12 by the Sonics. The contest was played before the fifth Rose Garden sellout of the season as well as an NBA on NBC regional television audience. CLIFFORD'S CAREER NUMBERS --- Clifford Robinson will play in his 627th NBA game---all in a Blazers uniform---on Friday, moving him into a tie for fourth place with Jim Paxson on Portland s all-time list. Robinson, who has missed only 12 games in his seven-plus NBA seasons, now ranks in the club s top six in 14 categories. He recently became the team's third leading scorer (now with 10,148 points) behind only Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter, is second in blocked shots (715) behind Mychal Thompson s 768, and his next three-pointer will place him in a second place tie with Clyde Drexler for three-pointers made with 464. Clifford owns Portland s all-time consecutive games played record with 461. ON OFFENSE --- Portland has the ninth most productive offense in the league, averaging 99.2 points a contest . . . In winning 36 games, the Blazers margin of victory has been 11.9 ppg, with the cushion being 10 or more points in 19 games and 20 or more seven times . . . Portland s overall point margin of +2.5 is the league's 11th best . . . Of the Blazers 28 losses, 16 have been by six points or less, nine have been by three or under, and six have been one-pointers . . . Portland is 19-11 in games decided by 10 points or more but 10-12 when the margin is four points or under and 2-8 when its two or under. ON THE BOARDS --- The Blazers rank third in the NBA in total rebounding percentage---the share of total misses in a game a team rebounds---(.523), fifth in defensive rebounding percentage (.716) and fourth in offensive percentage (.331) . . . The Blazers have an overall advantage of 4.7 rebounds per game and a 3.5 per game margin on the defensive glass . . . Portland has outrebounded 46 of 63 opponents this season and 10 times has claimed 50 or more in a game . . . Among the top five rebounding teams in the league for the past nine years, Portland is again among the leaders despite not having an individual among the league's top 35. ON DEFENSE --- Portland has the NBA's ninth toughest defense to shoot against, holding foes to .441 field goal accuracy in 64 games . . . It has kept opponents below the 40 percent mark 14 times and 34 times below 45 percent . . . In winning 36 games, the Blazers have held 25 opponents under 100 points and overall have allowed only 24 of 64 to top the century mark. AMONG THE NBA LEADERS ---RASHEED WALLACE, 3rd in field goal percentage, .565 (268-474) ---GARY TRENT, 6th in field goal percentage, .549 (296-539) ---ARVYDAS SABONIS, 35nd in field goal percentage, .490 (247-504), 32nd in rebounding (7.9), 24th in blocked shots (1.26) ---KENNY ANDERSON , 16th in assists (7.1), is 11th in steals (1.95), 26th in scoring (18.3), 26th in 3-point accuracy, .385 (114-296), 30th in minutes played (38.0) ---ISAIAH RIDER, 39th in scoring, (16.1), 29th in three-point percentage, .382 (83-217) ---CHRIS DUDLEY, 23rd in blocked shots (1.27), 36th in rebounding (7.1) ---CLIFFORD ROBINSON, 23rd in minutes played (38.4), 38th in blocked shots (0.87) A BLOCK PARTY --- The Trail Blazers are averaging 5.52 blocked shots a game, the league's eighth best mark . . . four Blazers, led by Chris Dudley s 1.27 rejections a game, rank in the NBA's top 40 . . . Others providing a big defensive screen up front for Portland are Arvydas Sabonis (1.26), Rasheed Wallace (0.95) and Clifford Robinson (0.87). DEALING TREYS --- In Portland s current seven-game win streak, Portland is hitting at a 44.4% clip from long range (59-133) with Kenny Anderson making 19 of 42, Isaiah Rider 13 of 25 and Clifford Robinson 18 of 38 . . . Last Wednesday s record assault against the Suns from long range---16 three-pointers in 24 attempts---surpassed the Blazers all-time one-game mark of 13 set at Golden State on Nov. 29, 1995. Portland sizzled in the second half against the Suns, making 11 of 14 from beyond the arc, also a team record for one half. BALANCED ACT --- Portland is ninth in the league in scoring and third in rebounding, yet no Trail Blazer shows up in the top 25 in either category . . . However, six Blazers, led by Kenny Anderson s 18.3 ppg, are averaging in double figures and all six have led the team in scoring at least four times . . . The Blazers balance on the glass is even more pronounced: Arvydas Sabonis (7.9 rpg), Chris Dudley (7.1 rpg) and Rasheed Wallace (6.7) are Portland s leaders but none of the three rank among the NBA's top 35 boardsmen . . . One reason for Portland s continued position as one of the league's rebounding elite is balance. No fewer than 10 different Blazers have grabbed game honors this season. THE LEGACY OF THE '77 TEAM --- On April 4, the Blazers will bring back the entire 1976-77 team for events celebrating the 20th anniversary of the city s first ever major sports title---the NBA Championship. Winning the title and launching Blazermania is reason enough to recognize the coaches and players from that team, but of equal importance is the legacy the team gave the franchise. Prior to the 1976-77 season, the Blazers had not had a winning season nor had they been in the playoffs. Since the start of the 1976-77 season and through Wednesday s victory over the Suns, Portland has won 58.3% of its games, has had only two losing seasons and is heading for a league-best 15th straight playoff appearance and the 20th in the last 21 seasons. The Blazers have been in the conference finals four times and the NBA's biggest show three times and are now seven wins shy of 1,000 in the 20-plus seasons. Only the Celtics and Lakers have gone past 1,000 victories in the same time span. ANDERSON'S ASSISTS COUNTING UP --- Kenny Anderson has now dished out 72 assists in his last eight games and 454 for the season (7.1 per game, 16th best in the league). That means $9,080 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 youth initiative TeamUp, the Trail Blazers are committed to help build public awareness of Kids Making Miracles, a volunteer organization of Oregon and SW Washington grade and high school students. 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 this season. All 33 Blazers home games thus far have been in the 20,000-plus category, including five sellouts. Total attendance is 682,243 with an average through Tuesday s Clipper game of 20,674. MARCH MADNESS, P.J. STYLE --- March is proving to be a good month for Blazers head man P.J. Carlesimo. His current club is 6-0 for the month. Last year, his team started their stretch run to the playoffs by finishing March with an 11-3 record, which makes him 17-3 for the month over the past two seasons . . . 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 124-104, 54.4% . . . Last season, Carlesimo guided Portland to a 44-38 record for the second year in a row. A CLIPPER REMATCH --- After taking on the Cavs Friday, the Blazers have a rematch with the Clippers Sunday in Los Angeles (7 p.m., KEX Radio, KGW-TV). They are back home next Tuesday to meet Sacramento (7 p.m., KEX Radio, BlazerVision) then head out on their last long trip of the year, a five-games-in-seven-nights eastern swing beginning Thursday in Milwaukee (5:30 p.m., KEX Radio). Subsequent stops are scheduled in Washington, New York, Atlanta and Charlotte. THE PLAYERS KENNY ANDERSON --- Tuesday vs. Clippers: 16 pts (4-12 fgs, 2-5 3pt, 6-7 fts), 7 assists, 6 rbs, 2 steals, 43 minutes . . . Sunday vs. Seattle: 16 pts, team-high 8 assists, 4 rbs, 42 minutes . . . Friday vs. Dallas: 10 pts, game- high 7 assists, 5 rbs, 3 steals, 29 minutes . . . 26 +20 games and 11 double-doubles this season. . . Has averaged 20.9 ppg in his last seven outings and 9.0 assists in his last eight . . . in the last six games, has swished 53.7% of his field goals (51-95) and 45.2% of his treys (19-42) . . . Scored a season high 35 points Feb. 15 vs. Houston . . . Dished out a season-high 15 assists, scored 22 pts and had only 1 TO in 43 minutes at Phoenix Jan. 24 . . . Scored a season-high 34 pts in a season-high 49 minutes Dec. 13 at the Lakers . . . Scored 32 points vs. Houston Nov. 26 . . . Led team in scoring 21 times, in assists 44 times . . . Team s leading scorer at 18.4 ppg, the assists leader (7.1 avg.) and tops in steals (1.92 avg.) . . . 26th in the NBA in scoring, 16th in assists, 11th in steals, 30th in minutes played (38.0), and 26th in 3-point shooting (.385 on 114-296) . . . One of 25 players in the league averaging at least 4 assists and 4 rebounds a game (7.1 and 4.5) . . . Has 114 treys in his first 64 games as a Blazer, placing him sixth on Portland s all-time three pointers-made list . . . Signed as a free agent July 23 . . . Split last season between New Jersey and Charlotte after playing his first four seasons with the Nets. . . New Jersey s 1st round draft choice (2nd overall) in 1991 . . . Starting East guard in the 1994 NBA All-Star Game . . . Last game vs. Cavs: 12 pts, 3 assists, 3 rbs, 3 steals, 39 minutes. STACEY AUGMON --- Tuesday vs. Clippers: 7 pts (2-6 fgs, 3-4 fts), 2 rbs, 1 assist, 2 steals, 19 minutes . . . Sunday vs. Seattle: 2 pts, 3 rbs, 1 assist, 1 block, 13 minutes . . . Friday vs. Dallas: 2 pts, 3 assists, 5 rbs, 2 steals, 27 minutes . . . Scored a season-high 13 pts in 30 minutes in his first start as a Blazer Feb. 24 vs. Chicago . . . Acquired Jan. 24 from Detroit in exchange for guards Randolph Childress, Reggie Jordan and Aaron McKie . . . In 20 games with the Pistons, averaged 4.5 pts 14.6 minutes . . . Played his first five NBA seasons with Atlanta before being traded to Detroit last summer . . . In five seasons with Atlanta, played 390 games, starting 355, and averaged 13.7 pts . . . Has registered 100 or more steals in four of his first five seasons . . . A 1992 All-NBA Rookie first team selection . . . Had a career-high 36 points versus the Blazers on Jan. 3, 1995 . . . Played on two NCAA Final Four teams at UNLV, including the Runnin Rebels 1990 NCAA championship club. MARCUS BROWN --- Placed on injured list Friday (strained left groin) . . . Last appearance Mar. 5 at Suns: 0 pts, 1 rb, 3 minutes . . . Scored a career-high 13 pts in a career-high 26 minutes Feb. 24 vs. Chicago . . . Scored a career-high 13 pts in a career-high 16 minutes Jan. 29 at Detroit . . . 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 vs. Cavs: Not with team (injured list). MITCHELL BUTLER --- Did not play (coach's decision) in last two games . . . Activated Friday and had 0 pts, 3 rbs, 4 minutes vs. Dallas . . . Placed on injured list Feb. 24 (effusion of the left knee) . . . Had season highs of 13 points, 8 rebounds, 33 minutes Jan. 14 vs. Detroit . . . Activiated Dec. 13 after spending 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 . . . Not drafted, he was signed as a free agent by the Bullets in 1993 after playing in more games than any player in UCLA . . . Last game vs. Cavs: Did not play (coach's decision). CHRIS DUDLEY --- Tuesday vs. Clippers: 7 pts (3-3 fgs, 1-1 fts), 7 rbs, 18 minutes . . . Sunday vs. Seattle: 2 pts, 7 rbs, 1 assist, 21 minutes . . . Friday vs. Dallas: 4 pts, 7 rbs, 2 blocks, 22 minutes . . . Sat out Feb. 16 Boston game after playing in 72 consecutive contests, which was the Blazers longest current consecutive streak . . . Has missed only three of Portland s last 227 games . . . Grabbed a season and game-high 15 rebounds in a season-high 43 minutes Feb. 4 vs. Chicago . . . Scored season-high 12 pts Jan. 28 at Toronto . . . Blocked a season-high five shots Dec. 1 at Golden State . . . Second on team in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and leader in blocked shots (1.21) despite starting just 12 games . . . Ranks 23rd in the league in blocks and 36th in rebounding .. . Blazers leader in rebounds and blocks previous two seasons . . . 10th year in the league, the team's longest tenured player . . . 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 vs. Cavs: 0 pts, 4 rbs, 13 minutes. JERMAINE O NEAL --- Tuesday vs. Clippers: 2 pts (1-2 fgs), 2 rbs, 5 minutes . . . Sunday vs. Seattle: 0 pts, 3 minutes . . . Friday vs. Dallas: 0 pts, 2 rbs, 1 assist, 10 minutes . . . Grabbed a career-high 8 rbs at Utah Feb. 13. . . Scored career-high 20 in career-high 25 minutes 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 3 minutes of action . . . At 18 years, 1 month and 21 days, he was younger than the Lakers Kobe Bryant, who was 18 years, 2 months, 11 days when he appeared in his first game . . . 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. . . . Last game vs. Cavs: Not with team (injured list). ISAIAH RIDER --- Tuesday vs. Clippers: 15 pts (6-12 fgs, 1-3 3pt, 2-2 fts), 3 rbs, 1 assist, 30 minutes . . . Sunday vs. Seattle: Team-high 25 pts, 7 rbs, 5 assists, 1 block, 42 minutes . . . Friday vs. Dallas: 10 pts, 2 rbs, 3 assists, 21 minutes . . . In seven-game Blazers win streak, has averaged 20.0 pts and made 59.8% (55-92) of his field goals and 52.0% (13-25) of his three-point attempts . . . Registered personal and team season-high 40 pts (13-19 fgs, 2-2 3pt, 12-13 fts) in 43 minutes Feb. 16 vs. Boston --- Two points off his career high, making him only second Blazer to top 40-point mark in two seasons . . . 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.) . . . Grabbed a game and season-high 11 rebounds vs. Seattle Dec. 18 . . . Dished out a career-high 11 assists Nov. 26 at Houston . . . Ranks 39th in league in scoring (16.1 ppg) . . . 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 . . . Last game vs. Cavs: Team-high 15 pts, 5 assists, 6 rbs, 1 steal, 37 minutes. CLIFFORD ROBINSON --- Tuesday vs. Clippers: 13 pts (6-12 fgs, 0-4 3pt, 1-1 fts), 4 rbs, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 35 minutes . . . Sunday vs. Seattle: 14 pts, 4 rbs, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 41 minutes . . . Friday vs. Dallas: Team-high 15 pts, 1 rb, 1 assist, 1 steal, 30 minutes . . . Will play in his 627th game Friday against Cleveland, moving him into a tie with Jim Paxson in fourth place on Blazers all-time list . . . Registered a season and team-high 10 rbs, a team-high 6 assists, plus 15 points and 4 steals in 41 minutes Feb. 2 at Minnesota . . . Second on the team in assists with a 3.3 average . . .Has led club in assists 11 times, equalling the number of times he did it in his first six seasons combined . . . Matched his career high with 9 assists Jan. 25 vs. Minnesota . . . Poured in his 400th career three-pointer Dec. 12 versus Vancouver . . . Scored season-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 23rd in the NBA in minutes played (38.4) . . . Leading scorer the past two seasons . . . Averaged 21.1 points in 1995-96, league's 16th highest . . . Has raised his career total to 10,146 pts and now is in 3rd place on Blazers all-time scoring list (s . . . Ranks in Blazers top ten in 16 of 17 career categories . . . Last game vs. Cavs: 11 pts, team-high 6 assists, 6 rbs, 1 block, 38 minutes. RUMEAL ROBINSON --- Tuesday vs. Clippers: 5 pts (2-3 fgs, 1-1 3pt), 1 rb, 1 assist, 5 minutes . . . Sunday vs. Seattle: 0 pts, 1 assist, 6 minutes . . . Friday vs. Dallas: 3 pts, 3 rbs, 2 steals, 19 minutes . . . Signed for the remainder of the season on Thursday . . . at Chicago Feb. 24: scored 2 pts in 14 minutes in his first game back with Blazers after signing to a 10-day contract the same day . . . Started the season with the Lakers and played in 15 games including three starts. . . Scored a season high 10 points vs. San Antonio Nov. 19 . . . Traded, along with Cedric Ceballos, to Phoenix for Robert Horry and Joe Kleine on Jan. 10 . . .Played 11 games with the Suns before being waived Feb. 15 . . . Joined the Blazers as a free agent on Jan. 10 of last season and appeared in 43 games, 14 of them starts, averaging 5.7 pts and 3.3 assists in 16.6 minutes . . . A 1st round draft choice (10th overall) by Atlanta in 1990, he played his first four seasons in the NBA with Atlanta, New Jersey and Charlotte . . . Averaged 20.2 ppg in two seasons in the CBA, playing for Rapid City, Shreveport and Connecticut . . . Led Michigan in scoring in 1990 and was a key to the run for the 1989 NCAA Championship, including making two free throws in the final minute to seal the Wolverines victory in the title game over P.J. Carlesimo s Seton Hall team. ARVYDAS SABONIS --- Tuesday vs. Clippers: 14 pts (4-11 fgs, 0-1 3pt, 6-6 fts), 13 rbs, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 30 minutes---his team-best 13th double-double of the season . . . Sunday vs. Seattle: 11 pts, 8 rbs, career-high 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 27 minutes . . . Friday vs. Dallas: 10 pts, team-high 9 rbs, 1 steal, 1 block, 22 minutes . . . Feb. 19 at Orlando: 8 pts, 5 rbs, 1 block, 21 minutes in his first action since Jan. 22 . . . Placed on the injured list Jan. 24 because of a 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 25 times, and assists 3 times . . . Scored career-high 33 points and had career high-equalling 11 field goals (14 attempts) on a career-high 14 fts in the Jan. 4 win at Dallas . . . Equalled his career high with 26 points and had 13 rebounds Dec. 26 at Utah . . . Played a career-high 41 minutes Dec. 13 at the Lakers . . Grabbed career-high 17 rebounds at Minnesota Nov. 7 . . . Team s leading rebounder (7.8 rpg) and second in blocked shots (1.26) . . . On the NBA's All-Rookie first team last season, the first Blazer to make it since Sam Bowie in 1985 . . . Runner-up for 1996 Schick Rookie of the Year and NBA Sixth Man honors . . . Gained his third Olympic Games medal during the summer in helping Lithuania to the Bronze at Atlanta . . . Last game vs. Cavs: 2 pts, 6 rbs, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 22 minutes. GARY TRENT --- Tuesday vs. Clippers: 4 pts (2-6 fgs), 6 rbs, 2 assists, 16 minutes . . . Sunday vs. Seattle: 23 pts, team-high 9 rbs, 1 block, 25 minutes . . . Friday vs. Dallas: 13 pts, 2 rbs, 2 assists, 17 minutes . . . For fourth time in seven games equalled career high with 24 pts Feb. 2 at Minnesota . . . Jan. 24 at Suns: Matched career high with game-high 24 pts and tied career high with 13 rbs in 36 minutes --- 10 field goals also a career high . . . Scored career-high 24 pts (9-11 fgs, 6-6 fts) in 32 minutes at Seattle Jan. 22 . . . 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 . . . Firing at a 54.9% clip from the field (296-539), the NBA's sixth best mark . . . 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 vs. Cavs: 12 pts (6-8 fgs), shared game rebound honors with 7, 1 assist, 28 minutes. RASHEED WALLACE --- Tuesday vs. Clippers: Tied for game-high honors with 26 pts (11-15 fgs, 1-1 3pt, 3-6 fts), 4 rbs, 3 assists, 1 steal, 39 minutes---13th +20-pt game of season . . . Sunday vs. Seattle: 10 pts, 5 rbs, 1 assist, 20 minutes . . . Friday vs. Dallas: 5 pts, 4 rbs, 1 assist, 3 steals, 32 minutes . . . Tied his career high with 14 rbs and set a new career standard with 15 free throw attempts Feb. 15 vs. Houston . . . Activated Feb. 4 vs. Chicago after missing 19 games and scored 2 pts and had 4 rbs in 14 minutes . . . Placed on injured list Dec. 27 after surgery on his thumb . . . Dec. 23 vs. Washington: 5 pts, 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 . . . His 32 points at Golden State Nov. 5 was the first 30-plus game of his career . . . No. 3 among NBA's top field goal percentage shooters (56.5% on (268-474) . . . 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 vs. Cavs: 12 pts (5-9 fgs), shared game rb honors with 7, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 31 minutes. DONTONIO WINGFIELD --- Tuesday vs. Clippers: Did not play (coach's decision) . . . Sunday vs. Seattle: Not with team (team suspension) . . . Friday vs. Dallas: 5 pts, 3 rbs, 7 minutes . . . Grabbed a career-high 12 rbs and scored 14 points at Boston Jan. 31 . . . 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 . . . Last game vs. Cavs: 3 pts, 3 rbs, 1 assist, 13 minutes. John Christensen Chuck Charnquist ************************************************************ Send subscribe/unsubscribe messages to majordomo@ripcity.com ************************************************************