The Portland Trail Blazers are 51-30 and will wrap up their regular season play this week on the road against the Dallas Mavericks. The Trail Blazers are in 1st place in the Northwest Division and in 4th place in the Western Conference, following the Golden State Warriors, the LA Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs. These teams have all secured spots in the playoffs with their rankings.
Portland has been battling injuries late in the season, including losing Wesley Matthews in March with a torn Achilles. Matthews has been out for the remainder of the season. With the playoffs approaching very quickly, the goal for the final game is to emerge uninjured. Neither team is expected to play their regular rotation for more than one quarter in this final matchup of the season.
In the basketball world, Portland is commonly known as Rip City. This name originated in the team’s first season (1970-71) with announcer Bill Schonely shouting “Rip City!” after a deep shot from Trail Blazer guard, Jim Barnett to tie the game with the Lakers. Portland ended up losing the game. When asked where Rip City came from, Schonely says he just happened to blurt it out. It has stuck with the franchise ever since.
The Trail Blazers have advanced to the NBA Finals three times, most recently in 1992 and have one NBA Championship, from 1977, where the team defeated the Philadelphia 76ers. Portland has had some serious NBA talent with Hall of Fame stars previously on their roster including Lenny Wilkens, who later coached the team. Additional Hall of Fame noteworthy players include: Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler and Scottie Pippen. In 2012-13, Damian Lillard was unanimously named NBA Rookie of the Year and has continued to shine for the Trail Blazers.
This season, the team’s leaders include LaMarcus Aldridge, who is averaging just over 23 points per game and 10 rebounds, as well as Lillard, who’s averaging 6 assists per game. To succeed in the playoffs, the Trail Blazers will need to bring powerhouse plays on offense and continue to stay healthy and injury free.
