by: Wayne Thompson

Who was that masked man?

That's what the Boston Celtics were asking themselves on Feb. 22, 1977, as Lionel Hollins, wearing a fiberglass mask to protect a depressed fracture of the forehead, scored a career-high 43 points to lead the Blazers over Boston, 113-111.

This was a big win for the Blazers on their march to the championship because it came when they were struggling. They entered the game having lost six of their last seven games.

February was an anxious month for Blazer fans. The month began with Bill Walton and Lloyd Neal on the injured list and Hollins available for only limited duty. Portland limped along, losing eight of 11 games for the month.

Hollins' performance came out of the blue. He had been wearing the mask for 16 games and it clearly had bothered him in most of them. When he was fitted for it, he told The Oregonian's Bob Robinson, "The mask is hot and uncomfortable. It is like having a cast on your arm. It bothers my vision."

But on this night, the second-year pro connected on 20 of 31 field goal attempts. "The shots started going in and my adrenalin built," he said. Then he joked, "I may wear this mask the rest of the year."