Blazers Streak By Jazz, Lead 3-1

Even on a poor shooting night, the Portland Trail Blazers played well enough when it counted to push the Utah Jazz within one game of elimination.

Isaiah Rider scored 24 points and Rasheed Wallace intercepted an inbounds pass from Utah's Bryon Russell with 14 seconds left as the Blazers held to beat the Jazz 81-75 Sunday night to take control of the best-of-7 Western Conference semifinals 3-1.

The Jazz pulled within 76-75 on John Stockton's three-point play with 16 seconds left. Rider hit two free throws with 14 seconds left, and Russell inbounded the ball from midcourt toward Stockton with a chance to tie the game.

Arvydas Sabonis had 14 point and 15 rebounds for the Blazers.

Karl Malone and Russell had 17 points each for the Jazz and Stockton had 16.

Â"We deserve to be beat by this team,Â" Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. Â"They outplayed us the entire way. I can live with that. I can't live with the fact that (we) aren't going to compete. I thought they had all the energy to do what was necessary.Â"

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Salt Lake City.

Â"We know it'll be a madhouse there,Â" Portland's Brian Grant said of the Delta Center. Â"But we're not going there just to play. We will try to close this thing out.Â"

Portland shot just 34 percent for the game, but made 33 of 42 free throws, while Utah was 16-of-26.

Â"It got ugly out there, but we were able to keep our composure,Â" said Grant, who was held to seven points but scored five straight to start the fourth quarter. Â"It was just one of those days where things didn't work out. Our shots didn't fall.Â"

The Blazers beat Utah for the 10th straight time in the playoffs in Portland. They are 11-1 overall in the postseason at home against the Jazz, whose last playoff win here was April 30, 1988, in the first round.

Like Game 2, in which both teams scored an NBA playoff record-low 25 points in the first quarter, thy shot poorly but the game ended up close.

Jim Jackson converted a three-point play to give the Blazers a 72-66 lead with four minutes left. But Utah stormed back with four straight points to pull within 72-70. Malone found Stockton for one of their patented give-and-go layups, and Malone hit a medium-range baseline jumper with 2:49 left.

The next two minutes were furious and fruitless. Stockton missed a layup, Shandon Anderson a jumper, and Stockton was called for an offensive foul. The Blazers turned the ball over twice on their two possessions.

Rider hit a short jumper in the lane to give the Blazers a 74-70 lead with 29 seconds left. The Jazz responded with an 18-foot jumper from Malone to pull within two with 22 seconds to play.

Portland cemented the win by making seven of eight free throws over the final 21 seconds.

After Utah's 97-87 loss in Game 3, they needed a quick start Sunday night, and they didn't get one.

The Jazz missed nine of their first 10 shots, but Portland missed nine of its first 11, and the Blazers led just 8-2 seven minutes into the game. A running hook by Sabonis gave the Blazers a 20-11 lead after one quarter.

Portland shot just 20 percent (3-for-15) in the second quarter, but held on to a slim lead by making 11 of 12 free throws.

Utah trailed by as many as 11 points in the quarter, but crept back as Portland went nearly eight minutes without a field goal.

Â"If there was any reason to be upset, it was the way we started the game,Â" Sloan said. Â"I didn't think we came out with the idea that we were going to win as a team.Â"

The Jazz faced elimination twice in the best-of-5 opening round against Sacramento, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to win. They did the same last season in the first round against Houston.

A near fight between Utah's Thurl Bailey and Portland's Rasheed Wallace sparked the Jazz. After the Blazers' Walt Williams missed a 3-pointer, Wallace and Bailey got tangled up, and Wallace shoved Bailey away. Utah coach Jerry Sloan leaped past Bailey to get between the players, and there was nothing but yelling after that. Both players were assessed personal and technical fouls.

A drive to the basket by Stockton with 35 seconds left pulled the Jazz within 38-35 at halftime.

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