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Page 8, Portland Observer. Aprii 24, 1986
9
• SPORT TALK • SPORT TALK •
by Hoy Lee Jeringan
Sports Editor
Blazers take Mavs 2 out of 3 in NBA playoffs
Game No I between the Blazers and
Mavericks put the series in perspec
tive for all participants and spectators
alike. Marvelous M arvin described his
battle with his challenger as being a
war. these two challengers are locked
into thermo nuclear war. The first
game was played to a double overtime
victory by Dallas, 139-131.
It would not be an exaggeration to
report that Rolando Blackman gave
the Blazers a fit. The game was tele
vised so you are on your own for the
stats and play by play. A few observa
tions concerning strategy and in
dividual play and we’re o ff to game
No. 2.
Jack has decided to start this new
season in the same manner that he be
gan the year, playing head games with
the rookies. Sam has forced himself
through Jacks* door but Colter, Ker
sey and Bernard Thompson won’t be
as fortunate as Sam. Not utilizing the
bench that established itself during
the regular season is a mistake and
quite possibly the only stumbling
block for the team on the way to the
conference title.
The pass from Mychal to Kenny
Carr that was so talked about as be
ing the single reason the Blazers lost
the game is hogwash. The fact that
Jack only gave Colter 8 minutes in a
double overtime game gets my vote
for the bonehead play o f the game.
The injury that took Pax out at game's
end also hurt the Blazer chance for
victory. Sam Bowie would also have
enhanced the opportunity for victory
but the poor call that gave Sam his
sixth foul drastically hurt Portland’s
bid for the big end o f the score.
__
«
Blazers up 81-78. Pax came in for
Clyde and sewed on a few running
jumpers and suddenly it was the Blaz
overtime victory for Portland and
Clyde controlled the tempo. Big Sam
hauled in 24 rebounds and blocked
5 shots in a sparkling performance.
Mychal Thompson came o ff the
bench and added 25 points to the
cause and erased all memories of his
late game passing mistakes. When a
team is trying to establish a running
game and keeping the tempo upbeat,
had passes are a part o f the game
That Bahamian attitude o f M ychal’s
ers in control.
As the teams headed into the final
stanza, the game belonged to anyone
who wanted to take it. Sam Bowie
took it! Defense was the name o f the
game fw Portland now, and Ihe
clamps were on Dallas could manage
only 22 points in the final period and
the " D ” is what did it. Clyde's play
was infectious at this point and his
teammates were responding to their
new-found leader There was no more
thinking his way through the defense,
Clyde let his imagination run ram
pant and he couldn’t be controlled.
Clyde hammered out a triple dou
ble on the boys from Texas with 10
rebounds, 10 assists, and 20 points.
Kiki was his old sweet self on offense
with 24 points and — get this — 6 big
rebounds Bowie’s totals in no way
indicate the game he played so forget
his stats and get into this: The Sam
will serve Mychal well in forgetting
his passing boo-boos.
Clyde Drexler is about to go o ff.
The floor game that Clyde pul on
the Mavericks showed the versatility
and leadership abilities that has made
the man from Houston a constant
threat whenever he’s on the floor
Steve Colter got more minutes and
that change in strategy had much to
do with the victory for Portland. Not
to take anything away from Darnell,
but Colter has to get some game for
ihe team to advance in these playoffs.
Darnell is playing his best ball o f the
season and Jack proved that he was
correct in inserting Darnell back into
his starting position. Jack can also
take credit for the closeness of both
road games because o f his lack of
confidence in his players on the
bench. Jerome Kersey and Bernard
Thompson are the two players that
could take the closeness out o f these
games and take much o f the load o ff
the starters. When your starters get
those big numbers o f playing time
they get tired and that spells injury.
Gam e No. 3
G am e No. 2
This game was down at the ok! Class
Palace so a little play-by-play is in
order for those o f you who couldn't
Game No. 2 was all Sam Bowie!
The big man has come into his own
and the Mavericks' lack of a center to
occupy Sam’s attention will be the un
doing o f Dallas in this series. Sam
controlled the paint in this 124-121
attend. The theme o f the game was
"Get him. Sam ." The big man played
his hips o ff. Whenever a Maverick
thought about going inside he had to
look for Sam. Drafting Sam over
Michael Jordan has indeed reaped
game to the point that he is a constant
threat when he's on the floor. He
does not get those silly leaping fouls
any longer, he blocks shots that stay
in play f w his team to control and the
kid runs the floor with the best of
them. When Portland is on a break,
always lo o k for Sam to come from
nowhere to hover over the rim until
the shot falls through the twine.
Whenever a Maverick
moved
toward the hole, you knew that he
would be contested by Big Sam Play
ers moved away from Sam as if that
famous knife was named after him.
"T h e Knife’ ’ should be his nickname
hecause he will cut you up if he catches
you acting a fool in the lane.
There is no doubt that Portland
can win the conference title with the
team they have. There is only one
man who can hurt this squad and that
man is Jack Ramsey.
Player of the Year
Karon Howell picks USC
S A M BOWIE
huge dividends for the Trail Blazers
The score was 122-109 Portland,
but the game itself was much closer
than the score indicates. Clyde got
things going with a sweet little jumper
and the prssure seemed to be applied
from that point on. After scoring 84
points in the first two contests, it
was only justice that Rolando Black
man retaliated and scored the first
field goal for the Mavericks. The
game was on.
The Blazers were out to establish
their game from the inside and had
numerous opportunities to score but
Ihe basket had a lid on it for the first
six minutes of the game. The fast
break game was what the Blazers
wanted whenever they got their hands
on the pill The Mavericks seemed
«intent to shoot the jumpers and to
get Mark Aguirre o ff.
Jack made a change in defensive
assignments and had Darnell V al
entine defend Rolando Blackman. I
guess you could say that it worked
because Rolando only scored JO
points. M otta made the mistake o f
never trying to post up Blackman
on Valentine and force Clyde to switch
his defensive assignment, in order to
make Clyde work harder on the de
fensive end. Big mistake M o lta, that's
no way to slop the lat lady from sing
ing prematurely.
Jack is catching on and playing his
bench a little deeper to o and the extra
few minutes o f rest gave his troops
the strength to produce down the
stretch.
The Mavericks took the bait in the
first quarter and tried to run with the
Blazers and fell behind 31-28 at the
close o f the period. Sam Bowie had
firmly implanted in everyone’s mind
that the red belonged to him
The second period saw a slow
down in the game and the Mavericks
were quickly trying to take command
of the tempo. Jack countered with his
bench and some jumpers by K ik i
CLYDE DREXLER
B__
e«sar
ika at
kwMsinnintf
Bowie
we .( saw
the beginning o f the
season is gone. Sam has improved his
from the outside M ark Aguirre was
playing superb ball and practically
unstoppable during the period and the
halftime score had the Mavericks on
the big end o f a 62-56 score. Aguirre
had 24 points at the half for Dallas,
and Clyde was top man for Portland
with 14.
The horrible officiating was creat
ing problems for the fans and players
alike so the third period opened as if
the players were still trying to deter
mine what they could get away with
They never got an answer
Halfway through the period the
tandem of Can and Drexlei gave the
Blazers the spark that they needed
Some lough rebounds and breakaway
baskets by Carr semed to have Clyde
on the end o f each play. At 3:53 of
the period. (.lyde and Kenny had the
[S
1984-85
Speaking at a news conference in
the St Mary's gym, Karon Howell
announced that she will be heading
for the University o f Southern
California with her hoop game
"A fte r much thought and prayer,
I have decided to attend USC next
fall,’ ’ said Karon in front of her school
and teammates. Recently named as
the Oregon "Player o f the Year" and
Parade Magazine's first team All-
American, the classy lady from the
Rose City has the crrdentials to be-
«wne one o f the top players in the
nation before her career ends at USC.
Karon had her choices narrowed to
Long Beach Stae, Louisiana Tech,
Texas and Oregon State Karon was
asked if the opportunity to play with
Cheryl Miller at USC had anything to
do with her decision.
"Yes, it d id ,” she said, adding,
"but I could have played for two
years with (former Grant High All-
American) Cindy Brown at Long
Beach, and she’s an All-American,
lo o . "
»♦ • “ •’ s,
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