Why Is This Man Eating Popcorn?

In truth, four of the six teams that have a real chance to win the NBA championship are in the Pacific, and the only reason the division's fifth team—the Golden State Warriors—hasn't got a shot is that it did not make the playoffs. Somebody must have given Rick Barry a whiff of the green, because the Warriors closed with a rush to finish with a 43-39 record—and that would have been the fourth best in the whole Eastern Conference. As it was, Golden State finished dead last in the Pacific, but failed by only a single game to catch the Midwest Division's second-place club, the young Milwaukee Bucks, for the last playoff berth.

That leaves Portland, Phoenix, Seattle and Los Angeles to carry the colors of the NBA's westernmost division and prolong their donnybrook to the bitter end. The way it was in the West was fascinating enough to review as a reminder that in the NBA the game is not over until the last man is found, kicked or punched or thrown out.

PORTLAND

On the last day of February the Trail Blazers were in the process of a 21-point homecourt blowout of Philadelphia when Walton walked to the bench saying the pain in his right foot had intensified to the point that he could not run. A week later minor surgery relieved nerve pressure in the area of the toes, but then his left foot pained him, and that was diagnosed as bursitis.

Doctors predicted Walton would be out from one to three weeks. But he hasn't played since. In rapid succession injuries claimed Lloyd Neal (knee), Maurice Lucas (hand, then leg) and Bob Gross (ankle), who joined Larry Steele (both feet) and Dave Twardzik (entire body) who were already on the sidelines.

In the improbable event that everybody else is back and playing well, the Blazers will still sorely miss Gross (whose fractured ankle surely will keep him out of all playoffs). In Portland's final two championship victories over the 76ers last June, Gross scored 25 and 24 points. His replacements at small forward, Steele, Corky Calhoun and rookie T.R. Dunn, are basically defenders.

While Tom Owens has filled in admirably in the pivot, the Blazers have missed Walton's contributions to the guard position where Lionel Hollins and, especially, Johnny Davis require his presence to exploit their games fully.

In the playoffs Portland should not have to contend with the one team whose aggressive, overplaying defenses caused it the most problems—Midwest Division winner Denver (3-1 over the Blazers this season). Then again, at this stage, the Blazers might be hard pressed to stop Claudia's. Who the champs play may be academic unless physicians—or Coach Jack Ramsay—can perform some miracles in Multnomah County.

PHOENIX

The Suns have the Rookie of the Year in Walter Davis, the guard of every year in Paul Westphal (with apologies to Gervin and the Nuggets' David Thompson, who are forwards masquerading as guards) and, some say, the hypochondriac of all years in Alvan Adams. With five rookies helping out, the team won 49 games and played consistently well except for a post-All-Star Game slump when Ronnie Lee, the runaround kid, was doing more referee-baiting than running around.