» » »*
M
®* 4 The Portland Observer- April 3, 1991
Blazers Embark On Six Game Swing
Red Hot And Rollin’
Photos by
Varone»
G n ttt
Portland
Mitch Richmond - Golden State
BY ULLYSSES TUCKER, JR
trail blazer/
Date Ellis - Former Seattle Sonic
Kevin Duckworth - Blazers
getting the feel for each other out on the
court.”
With the completion of last nights
contest in Minnesota, the Portland Trail
Blazers still have five tough road games
ahead before meeting the Los Angeles
Lakers in a nationally televised game
(NBC) on April 13 (Saturday). What is
described by some blazers as a “ very
critical” road trip, takes the locals to
Washington next, Orlando, and through
the state of Texas (Houston, Dallas,
and San Antonio). No NBA team, play­
ing all three teams on the same road
trip, has swept Texas since 1987. Port­
land can ill-afford another slump at this
stage of the season, especially since the
Lakers and the Phoenix Suns are right
on their heels. As "M agic” Johnson
told the Locker Room recently, ‘‘It is
now time to pul up and play your bas­
ketball. It’s crunch time as they say.”
* As the 1991 regular season winds
down into its final stage. Dale Ellis
figures he’s just hitting his own mid­
season form. Ellis, the NBA’s all-time
leader in three pointers made, missed
their first 20 games of the season with
a foot injury. Then, in mid-February,
he was traded from the Seattle Super-
sonics to the Milwaukee Bucks in ex­
change for two-time Miller Lite NBA
Sixth Man Award winner Ricky Pierce.
So Ellis, who was already trying to
make up for lost time due to the injury,
was forced to learn a new system in a
hurry with the Bucks preparing for its
12th consecutive berth in the NBA
Playoffs. ‘‘It (switching systems is a
little harder than I thought,” said the 6-
7 Ellis, who is averaging 18.6 ppg with
Milwaukee. “ It takes time for me to
adjust to my teammates, and for them
to adjust to me. It also takes a while to
learn all the plays, and for my team­
mates to learn where and when I like to
get the ball. I think it’s just a matter of
A seven year veteran, Ellis has
played in Dallas and Seattle. He teams
with Alvin Robertson and Jay Humph­
ries to give the Bucks one of the best
guard trios in the league. The other Del,
that’s head Coach Del Harris of the
Milwaukee Bucks, is pleased to have
Ellis playing for his team. “ He’s a
good player” said Harris. “ He’s smart
too. He will get better with us as the
games go by.And next year, when he
goes through a camp with us, then he’ll
really come into his own. But, we ex­
pect him to finish this season on a very
high level for us.”
•Portland center Kevin Duckworth,
a two-time NBA All-Star and one of
the best shooting big men in the league,
says that learning to control his weight
has enhanced his stay and career in the
NBA.
“ I haven’t licked it (the weight
problem)” ,said Duckworth, who car­
ries in the neighborhood of 270 pounds
on his seven foot frame. “ B utlhavean
understanding of the situation. I know
I’m a big guy. I will always have a
weight problem because of my genes.
It’s something that’s just there.
The key to it is to try to use it to my
advantage, and I do. Instead of taking
all the negative stuff that everybody
gives me about my weight, telling me I
shouldn’t be able to do these things I
do, I believe in myself. I believe that 1
got here (the NBA) only because I
knew I can do things that no one else
thought I could. And it’s always based
on surprising guys.
Not noted as a strong rcboundcr
and shot blocker, Duckworth knows his
limitations. Currently averaging 16.4
points per contest and almost seven
rebounds, Duckworth believed that
opponents took him for granted. “ I
mean, when I started scoring a lot of
points, those guys didn’t know what I
was going to do. They thought I was
just going to be out there. Then they
started double -teaming me and 1 had to
work on my passing. Now, I’m trying
to get the total game, scoring when I
have the opportunity, and if not, pass­
ing to the open man. once you set a
sight on what you want to accomplish,
the sky’s the limit.”
•In the effort to help give Golden
State players more of an identity, the
San Francisco Examiner recently ran a
contest to come up with a nickname for
the NBA’s highest -scoring trio-guards
Milch Richmond and Tim Hardaway
and forward Chris Mullins. The news­
paper received 1,500 entries from hoop
fans in the Bay Area, and the winning
selection was “ Run TM C.” Some of
the entries that were eliminated? “ The
Joint Chiefs of Stats,” “ Heat, Meat,
and Sweet,” and of course, “ The Blood­
thirsty Gymrats from Hell.”
Short Shakes: If Commissioner
David Stem can not control the behav­
ior of Philadelphia 76ers forward Char­
les Barkcly on the basketball court then
perhaps he had better contact Barkley’s
mother or grandmother, who he holds
in high esteem. A few seasons ago,
both told him to chill out the “ child
like” behavior and focus on basketball.
Sir Charles was recently fined S 10,000
for spitting at a fan alter some harsh
words were directed his way. Barkely’s
shower hit an eight year old girl
instead.” 1 was tired and didn’t have
enough foam in my mouth,” he said
about the incident. He was suspended
one game. Sir Charles, get a grip and
grow up. In the meantime, phone home
and get reminded of how you did not
get raised as a child...Boston was the
last NBA team to sweep Texas.
With 10 games remaining in the season, Portland is in
the drivers'seat to capture the Pacific Division crown.
Last week Portland beat Charlotte 117-102, Seattle
126-113 and 112-107, they beat the Lakers 109-105 in
overtime and they beat Minnesota 121-91.
Clyde Drexler leads the team in scoring averaging 22
points per game.
• ■
Kevin Duckworth is averaging 16.3 points and 6.8
rebounds per game
Cliff Robinson provides offensive and defensive support
off the bench
Stationary
Brochures
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ETC...
The flying fish, when pursued
by enemies, can soar above the
water from two to 15 seconds
and cover distances of 45 to 200
yards.
Black and white comes together In
__ the Portland Observer
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Ad Effective 4/3 Thru 4/9/91
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U S D * p » r im « n l of I lo o s in g
a n d U ilia n D evol«n m e n i
United Way
Names Vice
President
Priscilla Seaborg has been appointed
vice president of public policy at United
W ay of the Columbia-Willamette.
Seaborg has been with United Way
for one year as government relations
director. She is currently working with
other human services providers to en­
courage the 1991 Legislature to main­
tain funding levels for those programs,
which face potential budget cuts be­
cause of Measure 5.
Before coming to United Way, Sea­
borg was a federal public defender in
Portland, representing indigent people
charged in U.S. District C ourt
Seaborg received her law degree
from Indiana University in 1981 and is
amembe> of the Indiana State Bar. This
follows a 1977 bachelor of arts degree
in forensic studies from the same uni­
versity. She passed the Oregon Stale
Bar exam in 1990.
Be Sure To Look
In Your
FAMILY PACK-Stock up and save
this week on fresh Oregon legquarters.
Plump and tender eating. Oven bake or
fry for a meal the whole family will enjoy.
MAGAZINE
for your Safeway
Shopping Guide for
a complete list of
specials on sale this
week at Safeway!
Oregon
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