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TripleDipping · 04-03-2003, 06:06 PM

Blazers come to blows

04/03/03
JASON QUICK

TUALATIN -- Team Turmoil is at it again.

The Trail Blazers, already riddled with legal citations and suspensions this season, are expected to suspend second-year forward Zach Randolph before tonight's game against Utah after Randolph punched teammate Ruben Patterson in the face during Wednesday's practice, drawing large amounts of blood.

Randolph threw the punch while Patterson's arms were held back by teammates who had stepped in to stop a brief skirmish between Qyntel Woods and Patterson.

The Blazers had been scrimmaging near the end of what coach Maurice Cheeks termed a "heated" practice when Patterson and Woods began pushing and bumping each other. Randolph, who is Woods' close friend, came to the defense of Woods and hit the unsuspecting Patterson. It was unclear what the original argument was about, and Cheeks would not say.

Patterson became livid and broke free from the grasp of Arvydas Sabonis and Chris Dudley, but he was unable to reach Randolph. Woods and Randolph were escorted out of the Blazers practice facility to prevent a further altercation.

It is not uncommon for teammates to skirmish throughout a season, but Cheeks said Wednesday's incident was "absolutely" more serious than usual. Cheeks met with members of the coaching staff and front-office personnel Wednesday to determine what penalties would be levied against Randolph.

"I've been around a long time, and things happen in practice," Cheeks said. "But this one was . . . this was more serious."

The altercation was the latest in a long line of off-court problems for this team, which entered the season with a reputation as a volatile and undisciplined collection of talent. It came as the team has improved its play during a crucial push for home court advantage in the playoffs. The Blazers (46-27) have won two consecutive games and have a one-game lead over Minnesota for the final first round home court playoff seed with nine games remaining.

But now, the team will most likely be without one of its most promising players in Randolph, and Cheeks admitted Wednesday that he worries about the team "breaking apart."

"I don't know if it will shake the team, but I think this is going to test my coaching skills, just in trying to keep us together," a frustrated Cheeks said after practice. "We are on a pretty good roll right now, and it's unfortunate that this has happened. When things break apart like this, it tests your coaching skills in terms of putting things back together. I have to make sure our family stays together. I'm just being tested again."

Randolph, 21, is a 6-foot-9, 253-pound forward who has developed into one of the Blazers' top players off the bench. He was averaging 12.2 points in his last four games and drew extended praise from Cheeks this week as one of the Blazers' most productive players of late. He had a pushing match with reserve Ruben Boumtje Boumtje on the court before a November game in Houston, but that was dismissed as a typical, heat-of-the-moment skirmish that happens in the course of an NBA season.

Patterson, 27, is a 6-5, 179-pound forward who is also one of the Blazers' top reserves. His intense and physical defense has often drawn the ire of teammates in practice, but nothing that ever extended beyond shoving.

Cheeks said the team was finishing one of its best practices of the season when the fight unexpectedly broke out.

"Our practice was heated, very competitive, more heated than normal," Cheeks said. "But it wasn't like something was ongoing. Normally, as you are playing, you can kind of see something building, but it wasn't like that. It was just there."

Cheeks said it was too soon to determine whether there would be long-term problems between Randolph and Patterson, whose lockers are separated by Derek Anderson's.

"I don't know if it will linger; I will have to see how the parties interact," Cheeks said. "We are still thinking of how to deal with it."

04-03-2003, 06:06 PM	#1
TripleDipping Diamond Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Like you'd care Posts: 3,013	Blazers come to blows 04/03/03 JASON QUICK TUALATIN -- Team Turmoil is at it again. The Trail Blazers, already riddled with legal citations and suspensions this season, are expected to suspend second-year forward Zach Randolph before tonight's game against Utah after Randolph punched teammate Ruben Patterson in the face during Wednesday's practice, drawing large amounts of blood. Randolph threw the punch while Patterson's arms were held back by teammates who had stepped in to stop a brief skirmish between Qyntel Woods and Patterson. The Blazers had been scrimmaging near the end of what coach Maurice Cheeks termed a "heated" practice when Patterson and Woods began pushing and bumping each other. Randolph, who is Woods' close friend, came to the defense of Woods and hit the unsuspecting Patterson. It was unclear what the original argument was about, and Cheeks would not say. Patterson became livid and broke free from the grasp of Arvydas Sabonis and Chris Dudley, but he was unable to reach Randolph. Woods and Randolph were escorted out of the Blazers practice facility to prevent a further altercation. It is not uncommon for teammates to skirmish throughout a season, but Cheeks said Wednesday's incident was "absolutely" more serious than usual. Cheeks met with members of the coaching staff and front-office personnel Wednesday to determine what penalties would be levied against Randolph. "I've been around a long time, and things happen in practice," Cheeks said. "But this one was . . . this was more serious." The altercation was the latest in a long line of off-court problems for this team, which entered the season with a reputation as a volatile and undisciplined collection of talent. It came as the team has improved its play during a crucial push for home court advantage in the playoffs. The Blazers (46-27) have won two consecutive games and have a one-game lead over Minnesota for the final first round home court playoff seed with nine games remaining. But now, the team will most likely be without one of its most promising players in Randolph, and Cheeks admitted Wednesday that he worries about the team "breaking apart." "I don't know if it will shake the team, but I think this is going to test my coaching skills, just in trying to keep us together," a frustrated Cheeks said after practice. "We are on a pretty good roll right now, and it's unfortunate that this has happened. When things break apart like this, it tests your coaching skills in terms of putting things back together. I have to make sure our family stays together. I'm just being tested again." Randolph, 21, is a 6-foot-9, 253-pound forward who has developed into one of the Blazers' top players off the bench. He was averaging 12.2 points in his last four games and drew extended praise from Cheeks this week as one of the Blazers' most productive players of late. He had a pushing match with reserve Ruben Boumtje Boumtje on the court before a November game in Houston, but that was dismissed as a typical, heat-of-the-moment skirmish that happens in the course of an NBA season. Patterson, 27, is a 6-5, 179-pound forward who is also one of the Blazers' top reserves. His intense and physical defense has often drawn the ire of teammates in practice, but nothing that ever extended beyond shoving. Cheeks said the team was finishing one of its best practices of the season when the fight unexpectedly broke out. "Our practice was heated, very competitive, more heated than normal," Cheeks said. "But it wasn't like something was ongoing. Normally, as you are playing, you can kind of see something building, but it wasn't like that. It was just there." Cheeks said it was too soon to determine whether there would be long-term problems between Randolph and Patterson, whose lockers are separated by Derek Anderson's. "I don't know if it will linger; I will have to see how the parties interact," Cheeks said. "We are still thinking of how to deal with it."