The BulleTin • Thursday, april 29, 2021 A7
NBA | PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: I work as a re-
ceptionist in a small medi-
cal office. I love my job, but
I cannot tolerate when my
co-workers make fun of our
patients.
Sometimes it happens
while the patients are still
in the exam rooms, maybe
within earshot. Even the doc-
tor contributes to this crude-
ness.
Some examples: “Did
you see the size of that guy’s
nose?” or, “What’s with the
color of her hair?” or, “He
smells like he hasn’t had a
bath in weeks.”
This goes on throughout
the day every day. Is there
anything I can do or say to
change this mindset? We
have great patients.
— At a Loss for Words
Dear At a Loss: The person
who’s responsible for the lack
of respect for the patients is
your employer, the doctor.
If this is happening some-
times within earshot of
the patients, I am, frankly,
shocked that he or she has a
medical practice.
There is nothing you can
do to change the culture in
that environment.
Because it upsets you —
and I can certainly see why
it would — you might be
happier working for another
doctor.
Dear Abby: My daugh-
ter “Tiffany” is 12. Her best
friend, “Wendy,” lives down
the block.
We are good friends with
her parents.
How do I put this: Wendy
is a thief. She has no impulse
control.
When she comes over, she
helps herself to whatever is
lying around, mostly candy
and trinkets. For this reason,
we no longer allow friends
into our children’s rooms.
Recently, another item
went missing, and my
daughter spotted it at Wen-
dy’s house.
I told her she should say
something and take it back,
but she is shy.
I want to say something
to the parents, but I’m afraid
it will ruin our friendship.
I don’t think the mother
knows her daughter does
these things. Any ideas?
— Sticky Fingers
Dear Sticky Fingers: If the
shoe was on the other foot
and your daughter was steal-
ing things from her friends’
homes, wouldn’t you want to
know what was going on so
you could deal with it?
Talk to Wendy’s mother!
Tell her you don’t want to
spoil a friendship you trea-
sure, but Wendy has a prob-
lem she needs to know
about.
If you ignore it, the prob-
lem will only escalate.
Dear Abby: Would you
please settle an argument be-
tween my husband and me?
One of us thinks it’s OK to
dry our everyday dishes with
the same dish towel we clean
our dog’s bowl with.
The bowl is first rinsed
with soap and water then
wiped with the dish towel.
One of us thinks it’s dis-
gusting.
The other disagrees.
Would you wash your dishes
with said towel?
— Curious in
Kettering, Ohio
Dear Curious: Although
the dish may be perfectly
clean after being washed
with soap and water, because
of the “ick” factor, I sure
wouldn’t.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Madalyn Aslan
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
DYNAMIC | POSITIVE | AVERAGE | SO-SO | DIFFICULT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021: Steady,
confident and helpful, you’ve come to realize that making positive changes
will open doors. This year, you need to protect yourself from self-doubt and
excess humility. A deeper involvement in your community will lift your spir-
its. If single, an exotic type will catch your eye and win your heart. If attached,
make sure you and your partner are on the same page. LEO shows you how
to have fun.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Teach a colleague something that gives you both a sense of mastery.
Sharing what you know with someone you respect makes you more confi-
dent in your abilities. You’ll feel deeply satisfied after an intellectual conver-
sation. Tonight: Imagine your fantasy vacation.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Dig deeper into a conversation, and you’ll get past the superficial
Simons making case for more playing time
BY AARON FENTRESS
The Oregonian
Anfernee Simons sank his
ninth 3-pointer in nine tries at
the 10:35 mark of the fourth
quarter during the Portland
Trail Blazers‘ 133-112 win Tues-
day night at Indiana.
Only seconds later, Simons
again had the ball in his hands
while needing one more to tie
the NBA record for 3s made
without a miss in a single game.
Simons brought the ball up the
court in transition and after
taking four steps past halfcourt,
launched a deep shot.
“I just wanted to see how hot
I was and see if I was going to
miss tonight,” Simons said.
The shot clanked off the back
of the rim, leaving Simons at 9
of 10 on 3-pointers. His nine
consecutive 3s without a miss
fell one short of the NBA re-
cord, but broke a franchise re-
cord previously held by Terry
Porter, with seven.
Simons finished with a game-
high 27 points and added four
assists. He made one 3 in the
first quarter, three in each of the
next two quarters, and two in
the fourth.
“That would have been nice
had that last one gone in,” Port-
land coach Terry Stotts said.
“He had a special night.”
Simons is enjoying the best
season of his three-year career,
averaging 8.2 points and shoot-
ing 44.4% from deep. But his
playing time has been inconsis-
tent, other than when C.J. Mc-
Collum missed 25 games with a
broken foot.
Simons didn’t play a single
minute on April 13 during a
loss to Boston, and four times
this month he has played fewer
than 10 minutes. But he has
consistently played well, shoot-
ing 50% from the field in April
and 52.8% on 3s.
Even before Tuesday night,
Simons was 19 of 43 (44.2%)
from long range in April. That’s
by far better than the team’s top
three guards, Damian Lillard
(35.9%), McCollum (35.7%)
and Norman Powell (28.6%).
Lillard, a mentor to Simons,
said the two often talk at night
after practices or games.
“I just got a lot of confidence
in him,” Lillard said. “I know
how talented he is. I know how
much ability he has. When he
gets in those positions, I’m just
always trying to encourage him
to keep going. Don’t be shy.
Don’t worry about what people
might think.”
Simons’ immense talent, Lil-
lard said, demands that he is al-
lowed opportunities to flourish
and to be encouraged to keep
firing.
“We’ve got to allow him to
Craig Mitchelldyer/AP file
Portland Trail Blazers’ Anfernee Simons (1) shoots over Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) on Friday
night in Portland.
grow into that,” Lillard said.
“I think moments like tonight
kind of play into that. When
you just allow him to experi-
ence that. He got hot.”
Simons said he realized he
was on fire after the first 3 he hit
in the second half.
“After that, I felt like it didn’t
matter who was contesting and
how close they were, if I was
able to get it off, I knew it was
going to go in,” Simons said.
“So, it was a good night for me.”
Shooting clearly isn’t what’s
costing Simons minutes, and he
said he has been working on in-
fluencing games in other ways
because he knows the team has
plenty of scorers. Areas where
he remains raw are on defense
and as a playmaker.
Defensively, Simons grades
out poorly. However, those
numbers are improved from
where they were a month ago.
As for his passing skills, Si-
mons made several quality
passes Tuesday to open players
from a variety of angles that
didn’t result in assists but kept
the offense moving.
It is a skill Simons said he
has been working hard to de-
velop.
“Last year I had trouble see-
ing the court fully,” Simons said.
“But I think last summer and
then going into training camp,
and kind of working on that
stuff, opened up my mind. I
think it’s been helping me out
a lot. Just keeping the defense
honest and not getting caught
up in trying to score, I think it’s
going to open up my game a
lot by seeing the passing plays
as well.”
level in your relationship. Ask questions that show your need to understand.
Friends and lovers appreciate feeling as though you really want to hear them.
Tonight: Practice an instrument.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Make a fun experience much more memorable by sharing it with your
life partner or your best friend. Try to stay focused on being in the moment
with just that one other person. Avoid distractions. Tonight: Share a deep
secret.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
Dig into physical exercise that makes you feel awake and alive. Eating
right helps you keep your body running at its best. Treat yourself to healthy
habits that improve every facet of your life. Tonight: Crossword puzzle or
word game.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Don’t even try to contain your high spirits today. Plans for a
future party or even a delicious date will fuel your cheerful, generous at-
titude. Don’t push a friend into a social circle. Tonight: Make your own fun
at home.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Home and family attract your attention now. Call a lonely relative or
friend. Your voice will make them light up. Buy a colorful pillow or throw
rug to bring warm weather joy into your home. Tonight: Get cozy on the
couch.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Keep an eye on your email and news feeds. A message or story that
touches your heart will make your day. Get in touch with old neighbors and
find out how they’re doing. You’ll make them smile. Tonight: Gathering after
dinner.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Buy an item you’ve been ogling for some time. Quality means
more to you than anything, so don’t settle for less than the top of the line.
Someone who loves you might offer a gift of appreciation. Tonight: Quiet
moments.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
A needy friend could reach out for help. Avoid getting dragged
into someone else’s drama since it is not the first time. Focus on what
you want and treat yourself to it. Make today all about you. Tonight: Get a
massage.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Retreat from a social obligation that just seems like too much noise.
You’ll get much more out of alone time. Meditate and relax. When you rest
your mind, inspiring ideas bubble up. Take good notes. Tonight: Listen to soft
music.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Seek out friends who share your passions. Whether it’s just
for fun or in support of a meaningful purpose, gathering with a group
makes it even better. Be ready for a lucky break. Tonight: Watch a comedy
special.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
It’s time for your moment in the spotlight. Humble to a fault, you don’t
always like to take credit for your good deeds. This time it’s different. Let in-
fluential individuals see what you can do. Tonight: Update your professional
profile.
Sewell
Continued from A5
It’s never fair to the play-
ers and just like when former
Oregon quarterback Justin
Herbert was questioned about
his leadership last year Sewell
as been tagged with “maturity
concerns” because, well, he’s
20 and is a fun-loving guy off
the field.
“NFL draft comes out and
all these scouts and teams want
to do is look at guys’ short-
comings instead of what they
put on tape,” Ducks offensive
line coach Alex Mirabal said.
“I would trust what they put
on tape because if not Justin
Herbert is going to happen all
over again for all those teams
that bypassed him. I believe
the same thing with Penei.
Him and Trevor Lawrence are
the best players in the coun-
try hands down and then you
can fight for whoever you
want third and I don’t care if
you need a quarterback. If you
need a quarterback you better
take a darn left tackle who’s go-
ing to protect him.”
Mirabal freely admits he’s
biased towards Sewell, but it
doesn’t make him wrong.
“If you just say Penei at the
end of that sentence should be
greatness,” said George Moore,
Sewell’s backup and successor
at left tackle.
“He was probably the best
player I’ve ever seen in my life
play football. Him and (for-
mer quarterback) Justin (Her-
bert), he was different. It’s so
hard to explain. Everybody
has seen it; the whole world
“(Penei Sewell) was probably the best player I’ve ever seen
in my life play football. … He was different.”
— George Moore, Oregon Ducks offensive lineman
has seen Penei play and every-
thing he did from the way he
approached the game to the
way he changed his body that
first year when we came back.
His mindset, he was a differ-
ent dog.
“I don’t think I’ll ever prob-
ably see a player like that again
face-to-face. He was different.”
In an offensive line room full
of older and more experienced
players in fellow starters Shane
Lemieux, Jake Hanson, Calvin
Throckmorton, Brady Aiello
and Dallas Warmack, Sewell
commanded Oregon’s offen-
sive front.
“On gameday it was Sewell’s
team and they knew it and
they respected it,” Mirabal
said. “I think he’s unbelievable,
phenomenal and whatever
team the offensive line coach
who takes him is going to be
blessed.”
An NFL team could be add-
ing a foundational pillar of its
franchise for years to come.