NBA PLAYOFFS : WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS : Trail Blazers Eliminate Jazz, Look to Lakers

Some fans refused to leave, even refused to abandon their assigned seats in the rafters of Memorial Coliseum. It was as if only part of the job had been completed.

The Portland Trail Blazers felt the same way. They beat the Utah Jazz, 103-96, Tuesday night to win the Western Conference semifinal, 4-1, and roamed the locker room with the air of celebration of a midseason contest at halftime.

The fans watched the end of the Lakers’ victory over Golden State, being shown on the scoreboard over midcourt. The players watched, but insisted that they were looking to the future, no matter who it would include. At least they held on to that party line for a while.

How do they suddenly love the Lakers?

Let them count their own ways.

“No preference,” Kevin Duckworth said. “I just don’t want to play a lot of little people so coach has me on the bench.”

So he didn’t want to face Golden State.

“Hell, no.”

All he wants is maximum exposure. Jerome Kersey is no different.

“I guess maybe we’ll get on NBC if we play that team (the Lakers),” said Kersey, going with a city-wide feeling that the Trail Blazers, making their second consecutive trip to the Western final, get shorted in attention around the country. “It would be nice to be on national TV. That would be a great reason to play the Lakers, also to kick their butts.”

Kersey paused.

“But maybe we should prepare for Golden State.”

The Trail Blazers were tested again by Utah and passed. The Jazz, who made 23 of 24 free throws, the only miss coming by Blue Edwards on Utah’s final attempt, was within 98-95 with 1:28 remaining.

But the Jazz failed to score on five of the final eight possessions, part of a bigger stretch of going the final 4:32 without a field goal.

The Trail Blazers, who will play host in the first two games of the Western Conference finals, got a basket from Buck Williams, two free throws from Terry Porter and one from Kersey to wrap it up.

Porter and Clyde Drexler had 22 points each to lead six Portland players in double figures, and Williams had 12 rebounds--five on the offensive end--to go with his 14 points. Karl Malone had 26 points for the Jazz, and John Stockton added 19 points and 14 assists.

Looking to do their part to make it an all-Pacific Division conference final for the third year in a row, the Trail Blazers opened by committing eight turnovers and shooting 43.8% in the first quarter. Portland struggling for a stretch was not unusual, especially with Utah hitting 11 of its 18 attempts (61.1%), but there were some unique sightings the firsthalf:

--The Jazz leading after the first quarter for the first time in the series, 24-20.

--The first confrontation in a physical matchup-within-the-matchup between Utah’s Malone and Williams of Portland. It came under the basket--the only fitting place--in the second quarter, when the two power forwards went for a rebound.

They tangled, and Malone whipped Williams to the floor as play started in the other direction. That earned Malone a foul, and when play stopped Williams got back up and delivered a two-hand shove to the chest. Calmer heads prevailed before either had a chance to get really angry and start unscheduled reconstruction on the building.

“They try to play physical,” Kersey said, “but that’s not their game. It only sends us to the line.”

--Utah threatening to run and hide with the lead, making Portland dig out of a sizable hole for a change. The Jazz grabbed a 46-36 advantage with 4:03 to play in the second quarter and were up, 50-42, with 1:50 remaining. From there, the half couldn’t end fast enough for Utah. A 9-2 run in the last 1:40--including Williams’ two free throws from the Malone foul--got Portland within 52-51 at the break.

Portland had the lead back after the first possession of the second half, courtesy of Drexler’s three-point basket from the left side. After Porter hit a three-pointer from the right side, Kersey followed with two free throws and a jump shot from the right side and Kersey scored again on a rebound layup. The Trail Blazers suddenly had a 63-52 lead.

The offensive fury lasted until 67-52. It was a 29-4 run by Portland reaching back to the first half, including 16 consecutive points to open the third quarter. Utah, having lost its momentum, quickly was becoming part of Trail Blazer history.

With 9:16 left in the third quarter, the first sighting for the future was made, a fan’s hand-made poster: “BRING ON THE LAKERS.”