portland trailblazers history
portland trailblazers history
Portland Trail Blazers tickets had fans moaning about a 27-win season in 2004-2005, but it looks like the suffering may be over in 2005-2006. While an NBA Championship may be a little far fetched, NBA fans with Trail Blazers tickets can look forward to a youth movement in The Rose Garden..
The Portland Trail Blazers hit the NBA in a three team-expansion in the 1970-71 season. Choosing their name to honor the pioneers that first settled the state of Oregon; the Trail Blazers currently make their home in The Rose Garden.
As so often happens with expansion teams the early years were a struggle for the Trail Blazers. Ticket holders had to be content with watching individual players make their mark while the team as a whole struggled. 1971 saw rookie Geoff Petrie share Rookie of the Year honors with the Celtics’ Dave Cowens. The following season Sidney Wicks put up an impressive 24.5 points per game to win the Rookie of the Year Award.
1977 saw a vastly improved Portland Trail Blazers squad jell under new head coach Jack Ramsay. Using the ABA dispersal draft, the Blazers added Maurice Lucas and Dave Twardzik and raced to a 22-7 start. After a muddling middle part of the season, Portland got hot again at the finish line, boasting a 49-33 record, a 2nd-place finish in the division, and the first playoff berth in franchise history.
For a team that had never experienced postseason play, the Portland Trail Blazers handled themselves well. A three game series win over the Chicago Bulls sent the Blazers on to a match-up with the Denver Nuggets. After streaking to a 3-1 lead in the series, the Trail Blazers hung tough and knocked the Nuggets out after six games. With building confidence, the Trail Blazers eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers in only four games on their way to the NBA Finals. After an 0-2 start in the Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, coming home to Portland was just what the doctor ordered. The Trail Blazers evened the series at 2-2 and returned to Philadelphia on a roll. Despite a 40-point performance by Julius Irving, the Blazers brought home the NBA title with a 109-107 in Portland for the team’s first NBA Championship.
Since 1977 the Portland Trail Blazers have won four division titles, advanced to the conference finals on six separate occasions, and played in the NBA Finals three times. A second NBA Championship still remains an elusive team goal however.
With the 2005-2006 NBA season looming, Portland Trail Blazers tickets are growing in popularity. Head coach Nate McMillan is banking on guard Sebastian Telfair and first-round pick Martell Webster to mature quickly. Major contributions from Zack Randolph, who posted an 18.9 point per game average in the last campaign, will also be crucial. With all the elements in place, Trail Blazers tickets and The Rose Garden are a winning combination.
