Oct
24
This Week In Trail Blazers History: October 24th-October 30th
By sarahhecht
Oct. 27, 1970- In a year full of firsts, LeRoy Ellis pulled down the Trail Blazers first “20-20” double-double. With 25 points and 26 rebounds Ellis was the first of 12 Trail Blazers in franchise history to achieve the feat. He was later joined by the likes of Bill Walton, Maurice Lucas, Sidney Wicks and Arvydas Sabonis. Ellis’ 26 rebounds dominated the box score and his 25 points closely followed Stan McKenzie’s 27 as the Blazers stopped Buffalo 119-108 in Memorial Coliseum.
Oct. 30, 2007- The Trail Blazers opened the season against the San Antonio Spurs as the youngest team in the NBA. The 106-97 loss was the first of three consecutive but following the rough start the fledgling team went on a four game winning streak. With an average age of 24 years and 26 days, the youngest team in Portland history went on to pull the franchise out of a three year stretch of losing records. The squad ended the season at 41-41. It was the turning point into a new era of Portland basketball.