Sabonis named NBA player of the week

PORTLAND -- Portland's Arvydas Sabonis edged out Miami's Alonzo Mourning 
for NBA Player of the Week honors for the week ending Sunday, March 31.

Sabonis, who helped lead Portland to a 4-0 record for the week, averaged 
20.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocked shots and 2.0 assists in 27.8 
minutes per game.  The 7-3 center shot .648  (35-for-54) from the field 
and .429 (3-for-7) from three-point range.

Portland, winners of four consecutive games, has won nine of its last 
ten games since the rookie from Lithuania was inserted into the starting 
lineup on March 8.  Sabonis began the week on Monday with a team-high 
18 points (8-for-9 from the field) and a game-high 15 rebounds in 26 
minutes in Portland's 94-71 defeat of Philadelphia.  He followed that 
performance on Thursday with a team-high 26 points and a game-high 14 
rebounds in 32 minutes as Portland beat Golden State, 94-89.

Sabonis had 16 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in Portland's 
109-90 victory at Houston on Saturday and closed the week with a game-
high 21 points, three rebounds and three blocked shots in 24 minutes 
in the Trail Blazers' 115-100 win at Dallas.

Mourning averaged 31.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots in 
leading Miami to a 2-1 record last week. He scored a career-high 50 
points in Miami's 112-93 defeat of Washington on Friday.  Other 
candidates for NBA Player of the Week were Boston's David Wesley, the 
Los Angeles Lakers' Ervin Johnson, Orlando's Shaquille O'Neal and San 
Antonio's David Robinson.