Oct 18

Oct. 18, 1974- The history here can be described in two words: Quadruple overtime.
Three of these marathon matches are scattered throughout franchise history—the first in 1974 against Cleveland, the second in 1984 against Chicago and the most recent in 1997 against Phoenix. Of the three monster games the Trail Blazers have achieved a victory in just one—the first.

The four-overtime thriller saw the Trail Blazers defeat the Cavaliers 131-129. Knotted up at 97 a piece after regulation, Portland and Cleveland went on to score eight points each in the first three overtimes. Only in the fourth extra period did the Trail Blazers buck the trend—they scored ten to the Cavaliers eight and ended the three-hour and seven minute test of endurance.



The box score in a game like this is a thing of beauty. Bill Walton wiped the boards with 24 rebounds, Sidney Wicks and John Johnson each racked up 29 points and Geoff Petrie played an astounding 61 minutes.

It’s games like these fans never forget. Which spine-chillers have you witnessed?

Oct. 18, 1995- Construction began on the Rose Garden in 1993 and two short years later the Trail Blazers played their first game in the new arena. A capacity crowd of 21,393 fans attended the preseason matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Unfortunately the Trail Blazers couldn’t pull out a win in the Rose Garden debut and fell to the Timberwolves 114-110.

Oct. 18, 1976- In a much-criticized move, Portland traded Moses Malone to Buffalo for a 1978 first-round draft choice. That choice was subsequently traded for cash and Indiana’s number one first round pick—Mychal Thompson, a man who spent his eight seasons in the rose city earning his way into the running for Greatest Trail Blazer of All-Time.

Oct. 21, 1994- In Trail Blazers trivia news: Portland defeated the New Jersey Nets 117-111 in St. Johns, New Brunswick—the furthest east the team has ever played.