Trail Blazers Maintain Their Streak, 116-94 : Clippers: Technical fouls, ejection help keep club winless at Portland since Feb. 24, 1981.

Onto every Clipper success a little rain must fall. No one should be shocked that it came here, site of a Clipper losing streak that stretches to Feb. 24, 1981.

The latest defeat was a 116-94 drubbing Tuesday night by the Portland Trail Blazers before 12,884 fans, the 538th consecutive sellout at Portland Memorial Coliseum.

Not to get technical or anything, but . . .

Coach Don Casey was assessed a technical foul early in the second quarter, by which time Portland had a seven-point lead, after arguing with referee Dick Bavetta.

“It was a very worthy technical,” Casey said. “Maybe he should have given me a second technical to put me out of my misery.”

Center Benoit Benjamin got one from Jim Clark early in the fourth quarter.

The Clipper team got one for a second illegal-defense call.

But Ken Norman went them one better.

He got one in the third quarter. He also was ejected in the process, a reaction to being called for traveling with 3:58 remaining and the Trail Blazer rout already well under way.

Norman, who last season at Boston batted a ball into the stands in frustration, this time was more direct. As Bavetta turned to run upcourt along the sideline, Norman, standing near the top of the free-throw circle and directly across from the referee, threw the ball at him.

It hit Bavetta in the legs. He stumbled briefly--and then ejected Norman.

“I didn’t throw the ball at the referee,” Norman said. “I wouldn’t do that.”

So how to explain the ejection?

“One of the other referees made a judgment that I did that,” Norman said.

So did Casey.

“We can’t have unprofessional performances like we saw from Ken Norman,” the coach said, calling it a playground play. “There is no place in the NBA game for that and no place in the Clipper organization.

“I don’t mind him being frustrated about the way he’s playing, but don’t take it out on an official. It wasn’t an arguable call. I couldn’t even go to bat for him.”

Norman still finished with a team-high 16 points, which may be the best indication of what kind of night it was for the Clippers (4-7).

The Trail Blazers, who got 21 points from Clyde Drexler, became the NBA’s first 11-game winner. At 11-3, they also climbed into a virtual first-place tie in the Pacific Division, taking advantage of the Lakers’ loss to move within percentage points.

“These are the types of games you have to win if you want to be a good team,” Portland Coach Rick Adelman said. “It wasn’t one of our better efforts, but the Clippers didn’t play that well, either. The Detroit win was good, but it wouldn’t mean anything if we didn’t beat these guys.”

The Trail Blazers warmed up for this game by conducting a defensive clinic on Detroit here Sunday, holding the Pistons to 30 points in the first half, 36.6% shooting overall and 81 points, the fewest against Portland since Jan. 1, 1983. The victory was Portland’s 20th in a row at home against the defending NBA champions.

Going after its 26th consecutive home-court victory over the Clippers, and 18th in the last 19 meetings anywhere, Portland gave up only 40 points in the first two quarters to lead by 14 at intermission. On two separate occasions in the second quarter, the Trail Blazers, who learned of the Laker defeat during the first quarter, were ahead by 15.

Defense was part of it--the Clippers scored 18 points in the second quarter--but the real damage was done inside:

The Trail Blazers had 15 offensive rebounds.

The Clippers had 20 total rebounds.

Sixteen Portland points in the first half came on second-opportunity baskets, 10 in the first quarter. No Clipper had more than two rebounds, while the Trail Blazers got eight (six offensive) from Jerome Kersey, seven from Wayne Cooper off the bench, and six from Buck Williams.

Portland finished with a 58-50 advantage on the boards, 24 of which came on the offensive end. The Clippers had five offensive rebounds--four by reserve guards Jeff Martin and David Rivers and all in the fourth quarter.

“We can’t be a one-and-done team,” Casey said of the Clipper offense, which was shut out during a 2:54 span of the second quarter. “It was a reachable game. I thought we had it under control, tempo-wise.”

Portland’s lead opened to 69-52 with 4:43 to play in the third quarter. Then things really fell apart for the Clippers.

After Charles Smith made two free throws to make the score 69-54, Terry Porter made a three-point shot from the right side for a 72-54 lead. When Porter made the free throw on Norman’s technical, the lead was 73-54.

Norman was the last player the Clippers could afford to lose--or so it seemed. His 16 points were seven better than any teammate at the time, and take away his seven-of-13 shooting and the Clippers were 14 of 34.

Clipper Notes

Ron Harper began the night 10th in the league in scoring, averaging 23.3 points, and eighth in steals at 2.3. Gary Grant was fourth in assists (9.6) and fifth in steals (2.7)6. . . . Clipper assistant Dave Twardzik spent 11 years in Portland, four as a player, including 1976-77, when the Trail Blazers won the NBA title. His uniform No. 13 was retired. “I kind of felt uneasy about that,” said Twardzik, who averaged 9.5 points and 3.4 assists with the Trail Blazers. “I don’t think I deserve it. To have a jersey retired, you should be a hell of a player.”

Jeff Martin against Michael Jordan, one-on-one. Suddenly the Clipper rookie from Murray State was guarding the game’s most explosive player Sunday at the Sports Arena. The Chicago Bulls cleared out the right side to allow Jordan to operate alone on Martin.

“I knew he was going to take me, especially since he knew he was going against an inexperienced player,” Martin said. “I saw his eyes light up a little bit.” Martin thought back to practice, when coaches emphasized denying Jordan the baseline. But Martin had no experience in college to prepare for this moment. “The closest thing they had to Michael Jordan was me,” he said.