#GreatBasketballShootout
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August 27, 1975 - The East Squad finally broke through with a win in the third and final game of the #GreatBasketballShootout in Honolulu, Hawaii.

#JuliusErving led the East with 33 points. The reigning #ABA #MVP totaled 112 points in the three games.

#RipCity #ThisDateinBlazersHistory #OTD
#KareemAbdul-Jabbar again led the West team with 21 points with #PhilSmith of the #Warriors adding 20 points. #Portland players #SidneyWicks and #GregLee added 14 points total for the West, with Wicks hitting for 10. #JuliusErving led the East with 33 points. The reigning #ABA #MVP totaled 112 points in the three games. #PaulWestphal of the #PhoenixSuns and #RodDerline of the #SeattleSonics each added 20 more for the winning side. Two players with ties to #HawaiiMBB, #TomHenderson of the #AtlantaHawks and #BobNash of the #SanDiegoConquistadors, helped the East scoring 16 and 18 respectively. The local paper, the #HonoluluStarBulletin, referred to the game as the "Great Basketball Punch-out" after Abdul-Jabbar elbowed #TrailBlazers center #BillWalton in the right cheek after Walton had been riding the newly acquired #Lakers center as hard as he had the previous two games. Walton, who tallied 2 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 fouls, received the elbow with 3:33 remaining in the second quarter. #Blazers owner #LarryWeinberg, who was in attendance, accompanied Walton to a local hospital for X-rays as a precaution at halftime. #AbdulJabbar, who was not wearing his usual goggles, commented afterward he didn't think he needed to for an exhibition game. "I didn't think we would get into any serious physical game here," Abdul-Jabbar said as he revealed a cut lip which he received from the aggressive play by Walton.
August 27, 2025 at 3:33 PM