NBA PLAYOFFS : The Last Sound Is Celebration : Western Conference: Trail Blazers lose 23-point lead before Porter’s shot beats Jazz, 118-116.

The crowd noise inside Memorial Coliseum wavered with each possession like waves hitting the beach and then rolling back out. Raucus noise when the Utah Jazz came down court, silence when a member of the beloved Trail Blazers stepped to the free-throw line, 10 times in the final 2 1/2 minutes.

Or maybe it was just tough to talk when living vicariously through the home team Thursday night. That happens when there is a tightening around the throat.

There was a clearing just in time to save face after a 94-71 fourth-quarter lead went to zero. Terry Porter’s layup with 3.6 seconds remaining gave the Trail Blazers a 118-116 victory and what they seemed to have wrapped up an hour earlier, a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Celebrations were held immediately after John Stockton’s desperation, falling-sideways three-point jump shot from the right corner fell short. All in the stands, though. In the Portland locker room, the Trail Blazers let their feelings be known to each other.

“The guys are upset,” center Kevin Duckworth said. “We didn’t want to lose a 20-point lead and have it come down to the last shot. There was some bad language thrown around, some frustration.

“We made a lot of mental mistakes down the stretch. That shows the game isn’t over until the clock is done. They kept pounding it in on us. And give the refs credit. They kept Karl on the line.”

That would be Karl Malone, who scored 20 of his playoff career-high 40 points in the fourth quarter and set an NBA postseason record with 20 free throws attempted and 19 made in the second half. In all, coming off an eight-for-24 performance from the field Tuesday in Game 1, he was 10 of 18 from the floor and 20 of 22 from the line.

Therein lies the comeback?

“We didn’t get to the free-throw line much in the first half,” Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan deadpanned. “Their free-throw defense was too good.”

It cracked soon enough.

A complete comeback seemed to be out of Utah’s reach as late as 116-109 with 1:09 remaining. But, putting together a 9-2 run, the Jazz finally tied the game, 116-116, with 14 seconds left on two free throws by Malone, who also had 16 rebounds.

On their final possession, the Trail Blazers got the ball to Clyde Drexler near the left post, hoping to add to his 23-point night. That didn’t happen, but Drexler got his 15th assist by finding Porter, who got behind Stockton, under the basket for the winning layup.

Utah responded with a timeout, and then, when Thurl Bailey was unable to get the ball in at half court, another. Bailey got the ball to Stockton in front of the Jazz bench, and he dribbled along the sideline with close coverage by Porter. With no other option in sight and the clock running down, Stockton put up the three-pointer.

“I had a makeable shot,” Stockton said. “I just didn’t make it.”

Surprisingly, because of the way things ended, Portland pulled away with defense, Danny Ainge stripping Blue Edwards near half court and cruising for an uncontested layup. That gave the Trail Blazers a 36-35 lead midway through the second quarter and started a 16-4 run, the Jazz scoring on only two of 11 possessions before Bailey ended the half with layup.

That got Utah as close as 52-41 at the break, the total 12 points fewer than it had at the same stage Tuesday. Malone had only nine attempts.

The Jazz, who averaged 107.3 in the four games of its first-round victory over Phoenix, lurched into halftime by scoring six points the last 7:53 on two free throws and two inside baskets.

That figured to be the end of the Jazz, for the night and possibly the series, with Game 3 Saturday in Salt Lake City. Portland counter-punched and had the lead back to 15, 70-55, within 3:21, soon to become 81-62 on Jerome Kersey’s slam. By the end of the third quarter, the Jazz still had only 71 points and trailed by 16.