sports
Paxson signs contract
Blazers whip the Clippers in Eugene
By Allan Lazo
Of the Emerald
They set up the 24-second clocks and painted
in the three-point lines Monday night in McAr
thur Court as a crowd of 3,838 watched the
Portland Trail Blazers beat the Los Angeles Clip
pers, 105-97, in a Natonal Basketball Association
pre-season match-up.
Besides picking up the win, the Blazers
received more good news as Jim Paxson signed a
new contract with the team and is expected to
start as soon as “Jack (Ramsay) and 1 think I’m
ready to go,” according to Paxson.
Clipper forward Rory White led all scorers
with 20 points while Blazer forwards Peter
Verhoeven and Jerome Kersey each tossed in 19
points and grabbed eight rebounds, tops in both
categories for Portland.
“I thought we played well, and it was a good
game for us. We had some dry spells, but overall,
it was a lot better than the Seattle game,” said
Blazer coach Jack Ramsay referring to Portland’s
112-98 loss in Seattle Sunday night.
Last night’s game was close most of the way,
but the Clippers managed to battle back to within
only arm’s reach as they turned the ball over 25
times to the Blazers’ 17. The Blazers also found
their way to the free-throw line 31 times as the
Clippers managed only 18 shots from the line.
At one point in the third quarter, Los Angeles
even moved into the lead, 72-68, on a White dunk
off of a pass from Junior Bridgeman. From then
on, the Clippers lost momentum.
By the end of the third stanza, the Blazers
had recaptured the lead, 82-75, with Clyde Drex
ler using a little of his “glide” to pump in six
points and grab a steal and an assist for the
Blazers.
Drexler finished the game with 18 points and
topped the list of assists on both sides with six.
While many of the big names found their way
onto the court for both teams, many others were
notably absent.
Among those present was former Blazer Bill
Walton who saw limited playing time and scored
only two points.
For the Blazers, Darnell Valentine poured in
14 points, Mychal Thompson added 11 and for
ward Bernard lhompson tallied eight.
The Clippers’ Marques Johnson and Norm
Nixon failed to make appearances in the game.
Johnson, a 6-7 forward who was involved in the
Clippers’ trade with Milwaukee, was nursing a
broken shooting hand and guard Nixon remained
in Los Angeles because of a contract dispute.
Meanwhile, the Blazers did not play highly
touted No. 1 draft choice. Sam Bowie, forward
Kiki Vandeweghe or Paxson. A back injury has
slowed Vandeweghe in the pre-season.
Paxson and the Blazers inked a 6-year con
tract that ended a dispute that had kept the all
star guard out of Portland’s camp since it opened.
Paxson had been looking at an offer from the New
York Knicks, but became one of the highest paid
Blazers with his signing of a new contract.
Reportedly, Paxson’s contract will be in the
neighborhood of Bowie’s and Thompson’s
salaries.
Although the crowd in Mac Court chanted for
Bowie to play, it was not to be as the Blazers’
number one draft pick sat out the game nursing
bruised ribs.
“Even though it’s nice to be playing in the
pre-season, we know that we are getting ready for
the regular season,” said Bowie. “1 don’t want to
do anything to jeopardize that season.”
The game in Mac Court marked a homecom
ing of sorts for two Clippers. Walton and former
San Diego State University forward Michael Cage
found their way back to the Pit, but with a little
different perspective this time around.
“Things are a little different now. I think this
is the first time that I have been to Mac Court
when there wasn’t a sellout crowd. Things are
changing in a hurry up here in Oregon, ” said
Walton who was a standout for UCLA in the early
1970s.
“Dick Harter had a very enthusiastic program
going here when I played at UCLA,” said Walton.
“There was a great rivalry bet wen the two
schools.”
“Then I went to the Blazers, we played a
number of games in Mac Court, and it's just great
to be back in the Willamette Valley,” added
Walton who received a loud round of applause as
he started the game.
Photo by Brian Erfe
Los Angeles Clippers Bill Walton and James Donaldson (40)
couldn’t stop Mychal Thompson's drive or the Blazers, as
Portland rolled past the Clippers 105-97 in McArthur Court
Monday night.
Green Bay fumbles game to Denver in 37 seconds
DENVER (AP) —Defensive backs Steve
Foley and Louis Wright returned two
fumbles for touchdowns just 37 seconds
into the game and the Denver Broncos
held on for a 17-14 National Football
League victory over the Green Bay
Packers Monday night in a game played
in a storm that dropped ankle-deep snow
on the field by game’s end.
The Broncos, extending their winning
streak to five games, raised their record
to 6-1 and kept pace with the Los
Angeles Raiders in the AFC West. Green
Bay suffered its sixth straight setback
after an opening victory.
The scores by Foley and Wright mark
ed the second consecutive game in
which Denver’s defense had contributed
two touchdowns. For the year, the Bron
cos defense has scored six times.
Despite a mostly anemic offense, the
Broncos made the 14-0 lead standup
with key defensive plays, the final one
coming when defensive end Rulon Jones
sacked quarterback Lynn Dickey and
forced a fumble after the Packers had
driven inside the Denver 20-yard line
with 3:08 left in the game.
It offset a brilliant performance by the
Packers’ wide receiver James Lofton,
who defied the elements by catching a
career-high 11 passes for 206 yards, in
cluding a 54-yard score midway through
the fourth quarter.
On Green Bay’s first play from scrim
mage, running back Gerry Ellis was hit
in the backfield by linebacker Tom
Jackson and fumbled. Foley scooped up
the loose ball and dashed 22 yards for a
score.
On their next play from scrimmage.
the Packers duplicated their disaster.
Jessie Clark ran five yards but was strip
ped of the ball by linebacker Steve
Busick. and Wright ran it back 27 yards
for another touchdown with 14:23 left in
the opening quarter.
Green Bay. with Dickey beginning to
connect with Lofton, subsequently
threatened to score three times in the
first half. But Eddie Garcia missed field
goal attempts of 29 and 37 yards, and
Dickey was intercepted by Foley on the
third threat.
Denver quarterback John Elway com
pleted passes of 16 yards to Steve Wat
son and 18 yards to Sammy Winder to set
up Rich Karlis’ 30-yard field goal early
in the second quarter for a 17-0 Denver
lead.
The Packers applied the pressure
again, taking the second-half kickoff and
driving to the Denver five, where Dickey
fumbled a snap and linebacker Jim Ryan
recovered.
Green Bay finally got on the
scoreboard late in the third quarter. Safe
ty Mark Murphy intercepted a pass by
Elway and returned it eight yards to the
Denver 14. Four plays later. Ellis ran off
right tackle for a five-yard scoring run
with 1:15 left in the period.
Denver’s offense, which failed to gain
a first down from late in the first quarter
until late in the third quarter, put
together a short drive that expired on in
complete passes and helped set up the
Packers’ second score.
Lofton beat cornerback Mike Harden
down the left side and gathered in
Dickey’s 54-yard touchdown toss as
Green Bay drew within 17-14 with 7:31
left.
Doonesbury
H0WPVir60?UELL,lETME TELLYCU.
RUST, IMI95EPMY TRAIN ANPI WAS
E. THEN MY OFFICE
WASN'T REAPY. THEN
WE RECEPTIONIST
MAPS A MAJOR. mSS
THEN, TO TOP IT OFF, I WAS IN
FORMFP THAT MY FIRSTA9SI6NMENT
IS TO FtEPARB A R5A6AN CAMMJ6H
BY GARRY TRUDEAU
NEVER MW THAT THE WHOLE IDEA
IS PREPOSTEROUS. MAT REALLY
WORRIES ME 15 THATIACCEPTED,
THAT I‘M ALREADY BEGINNING
TO LOSE THE COURAGE OF MY
CONVICTIONS.
DO&n NOT NEARLY AS
WORRY YOU, MUCH AS THE
TOO.J.J? RBCSPTIONIST
Opening of
Noosehead
Season
at
The Pad!
Wed. Oct. 17
Details in
Wednesday's Emerald