1987–88 Portland Trail Blazers season
1987–88 Portland Trail Blazers season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Mike Schuler |
General manager | Jon Spoelstra |
Owner(s) | Larry Weinberg |
Arena | Memorial Coliseum |
Results | |
Record | 53–29 (.646) |
Place | Division: 2nd (Pacific) Conference: 4th (Western) |
Playoff finish | First round (lost to Jazz 1–3) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
The 1987–88 NBA season was the 18th season for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association.[1] During the first month of the regular season in November, the Trail Blazers signed free agent, former Trail Blazers and All-Star forward Maurice Lucas,[2][3][4] and later on in December signed Richard Anderson, who was previously released by the Houston Rockets.[5] The team began their season without Sam Bowie, who was out due to a preseason right leg injury, and would miss the entire season.[6][7][8]
After winning their first two games of the regular season, the Trail Blazers posted a five-game losing streak, but then posted a 9-game winning streak between November and December, and held a 26–16 record at the All-Star break.[9] At mid-season, the team traded Jim Paxson to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Jerry Sichting.[10][11][12] The Trail Blazers posted another 9-game winning streak between February and March, and won 10 of their final 13 games of the season, finishing in second place in the Pacific Division with a 53–29 record, earning the fourth seed in the Western Conference, and qualifying for the NBA playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.[13]
Clyde Drexler averaged 27.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.9 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while Kiki Vandeweghe contributed 20.2 points per game off the bench, but only played just 37 games due to injury, and Jerome Kersey provided the team with 19.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. In addition, second-year center Kevin Duckworth averaged 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and was named the NBA Most Improved Player of the Year,[14][15][16][17] while Steve Johnson provided with 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, but only appeared in just 43 games also due to injury, and Terry Porter contributed 14.9 points, 10.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Off the bench, Anderson averaged 6.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while Lucas provided with 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, Mike Holton contributed 5.3 points and 2.6 assists per game, and starting power forward Caldwell Jones averaged 4.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.[18]
Drexler and Johnson were both selected for the 1988 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago, Illinois, but Johnson did not participate due to injury.[19][20][21][22] Drexler finished in fifth place in Most Valuable Player voting, and tied in eighth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,[23] while Kersey finished in fifth place in Most Improved Player voting,[23] and head coach Mike Schuler finished tied in third place in Coach of the Year voting.[24][25][26][23]
In the Western Conference First Round of the 1988 NBA playoffs, the Trail Blazers were eliminated in the opening round for the third consecutive year, this time losing to the 5th-seeded Utah Jazz, three games to one in the best-of-five series.[27] Following the season, Lucas retired, and Holton was left unprotected in the 1988 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the Charlotte Hornets expansion team.[28][29][30][31]
Draft picks
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 17 | Ronnie Murphy | F | United States | Jacksonville |
2 | 29 | Lester Fonville | United States | Jackson State | |
2 | 30 | Nikita Wilson | PF | United States | Louisiana State |
3 | 63 | Kevin Gamble | SF/SG | United States | Iowa |
4 | 86 | Norwood Barber | United States | Florida State | |
5 | 109 | David Moss | United States | Tulsa | |
6 | 132 | Bernard Jackson | United States | Loyola (IL) | |
7 | 155 | Kenny Stone | United States | George Fox |
Roster
Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Roster notes
- Center Sam Bowie was on the injured reserve list due to a right leg injury sustained during the preseason, and missed the entire regular season.[6][7][8]
Regular season
Season standings
W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
y-Los Angeles Lakers | 62 | 20 | .756 | – | 36–5 | 26–15 | 23–7 |
x- | 53 | 29 | .646 | 9 | 33–8 | 20–21 | 23–7 |
x-Seattle SuperSonics | 44 | 38 | .537 | 18 | 32–9 | 12–29 | 19–11 |
Phoenix Suns | 28 | 54 | .341 | 34 | 22–19 | 6–35 | 11–19 |
Golden State Warriors | 20 | 62 | .244 | 42 | 16–25 | 4–37 | 7–23 |
Los Angeles Clippers | 17 | 65 | .207 | 45 | 14–27 | 3–38 | 7–23 |
# | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
1 | z-Los Angeles Lakers | 62 | 20 | .756 | – |
2 | y-Denver Nuggets | 54 | 28 | .659 | 8 |
3 | x-Dallas Mavericks | 53 | 29 | .646 | 9 |
4 | x- | 53 | 29 | .646 | 9 |
5 | x-Utah Jazz | 47 | 35 | .573 | 15 |
6 | x-Houston Rockets | 46 | 36 | .561 | 16 |
7 | x-Seattle SuperSonics | 44 | 38 | .537 | 18 |
8 | x-San Antonio Spurs | 31 | 51 | .378 | 31 |
9 | Phoenix Suns | 28 | 54 | .341 | 34 |
10 | Sacramento Kings | 24 | 58 | .293 | 38 |
11 | Golden State Warriors | 20 | 62 | .244 | 42 |
12 | Los Angeles Clippers | 17 | 65 | .207 | 45 |
- z - clinched division title
- y - clinched division title
- x - clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
1987-88 NBA Records | |||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAC | SAS | SEA | UTA | WAS |
Atlanta | – | 2–4 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
Boston | 4–2 | – | 3–3 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 |
Chicago | 3–2 | 3–3 | – | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 |
Cleveland | 1–5 | 3–2 | 3–3 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 6–0 |
Dallas | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 3–3 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 |
Denver | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | – | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 |
Detroit | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | – | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 |
Golden State | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 0–2 | – | 0–5 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 0–2 |
Houston | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 5–0 | – | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 |
Indiana | 2–4 | 0–5 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 |
L.A. Clippers | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 1–1 | – | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 0–2 |
L.A. Lakers | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | – | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 |
Milwaukee | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | – | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 |
New Jersey | 0–5 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–6 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | – | 3–3 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–6 |
New York | 3–3 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | – | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
Philadelphia | 0–6 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 |
Phoenix | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 0–6 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 0–2 |
Portland | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 6–0 | – | 4–1 | 5–0 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 2–0 |
Sacramento | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–4 | – | 3–3 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 |
San Antonio | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 5–0 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 3–3 | – | 3–2 | 3–3 | 0–2 |
Seattle | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 2–3 | – | 1–4 | 2–0 |
Utah | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–1 | – | 2–0 |
Washington | 3–3 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 6–0 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — |
Game log
Regular season
Playoffs
1988 playoff game log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First round: 1–3 (home: 1–1; road: 0–2)
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1988 schedule |
Player statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Season
Playoffs
Awards and honors
Transactions
References
- ^ 1987-88 Portland Trail Blazers
- ^ "Blazers Host Rockets; No Lucas Yet". The Register-Guard. Associated Press. November 10, 1987. p. 2C. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "Basketball". The Washington Post. News Services and Staff Reports. November 11, 1987. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "Names in the News". Los Angeles Times. November 12, 1987. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "Names in the News". Los Angeles Times. December 10, 1987. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ a b "Bowie Breaks Leg Again--in Same Place--Before Exhibition". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. October 18, 1987. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ a b "Bowie Refractures Leg Before Game". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 19, 1987. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ a b "Portland Trail Blazers Center Sam Bowie, Who Fractured His..." United Press International. October 19, 1987. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "NBA Games Played on February 4, 1988". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "Jim Paxson Traded to Boston". The Washington Post. Associated Press. February 23, 1988. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "The Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday Traded Guard Jim Paxson,..." United Press International. February 23, 1988. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "Sports People; Paxson Traded". The New York Times. February 24, 1988. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "1987–88 Portland Trail Blazers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE; Duckworth Honored". The New York Times. May 13, 1988. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "For the Record". The Washington Post. May 13, 1988. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "Blazer Wins Improved Award". The Register-Guard. News Service Reports. May 13, 1988. p. 3C. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "NBA Most Improved Player (George Mikan Trophy) Award Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "1987–88 Portland Trail Blazers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ Barnard, Bill (February 7, 1988). "Today's NBA All-Star Game Will Be Homecoming of Sorts for 3 Players". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ Barnard, Bill (February 7, 1988). "NBA All-Star Game to Be Made Homecoming". The Press-Courier. p. 15. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "1988 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "1988 NBA All-Star Game: East 138, West 133". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c "1987–88 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "Moe Named NBA Coach of Year". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 16, 1988. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "Doug Moe, Who Guided the Denver Nuggets…". Chicago Tribune. Contributed Content. May 17, 1988. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "Nuggets Moe Gets Top Honor". The Item. Associated Press. May 17, 1988. p. 1B. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "1988 NBA Western Conference First Round: Jazz vs. Trail Blazers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ Aldridge, David (June 23, 1988). "Charlotte Club Drafts Bogues from Bullets". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ Goldaper, Sam (June 24, 1988). "Miami Chooses "Who?" First". The New York Times. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ Edes, Gordon (June 24, 1988). "Billy Thompson Goes to Miami; Valentine Winds Up in Cleveland". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ "1988 NBA Expansion Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2025.