Blazers: a look back

Blazers 92, Bulls 81: The Blazers' wake-up call came after Chicago 
led 57-49 with 3:16 remaining in the third quarter. Coach Mike 
Dunleavy said that a similar effort a few months from now probably 
would earn the Blazers an early exit from the playoffs. "We've got 
to take all levels of our game up a couple notches from where we're 
playing," Dunleavy said. Arvydas Sabonis helped rescue the Blazers 
from what would have been a loss to the team with the league's 
worst record, scoring 16 of his season-high 23 points in the fourth 
quarter. Statistical leaders: Sabonis, 23 points; Dale Davis, eight 
rebounds; Damon Stoudamire, seven assists. Record: 33-14, second 
place in the Pacific Division, a half-game behind Sacramento. 

Blazers 100, Suns 92: The Blazers' first victory in three tries 
against Phoenix came with a price -- the loss of Rasheed Wallace. 
Two days after being selected a Western Conference All-Star for the 
second year in a row, the Blazers' leader in points, rebounds and 
minutes drew his 26th and 27th technical fouls of the season and 
acted as if he wanted to rearrange referee Gary Benson's stripes. 
Wallace's antics earned him a two-game suspension without pay and a 
$10,000 fine. Statistical leaders: Steve Smith, 20 points; Davis, 
12 rebounds; Stoudamire, 10 assists. Record: 34-14, second place in 
Pacific Division, one game ahead of Sacramento but .006 percentage 
points behind the Kings. 

Clippers 90, Blazers 89: Last season, Smith averaged 19.0 points 
and shot 64.4 percent from the field in leading the Blazers to a 
four-game sweep of the Clippers. The Blazers had been 14-1 over the 
last four seasons against the Clippers, whose last victory had been 
an 89-83 win at the Rose Garden on April 11, 1999. The last time 
the Clippers had defeated the Blazers in Los Angeles was April 8, 
1996, 102-89.