Drexler Scores 34 as Trail Blazers Move Ahead : NBA: Portland takes series from Suns, 4-1, to reach Western finals again, 118-106.

The Portland Trail Blazers advanced to the Western Conference finals for the third consecutive season on Thursday night, beating the Phoenix Suns, 118-106, behind Clyde Drexler’s 34 points.

The Trail Blazers, who open the conference finals at home Saturday against Utah, won the best-of-seven series, four games to one. They trailed only once in the final game, 43-42, midway through the second quarter, and led by as many as 16 early in the third quarter.

The Suns, playing their final game under retiring coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, closed to 97-94 on Tom Chambers’ fast-break basket with 10 minutes to play.

But Portland scored the next eight points to pull ahead, 105-94, and the Suns got no closer than nine again.

Cliff Robinson started the run with a basket inside, then blocked Jeff Hornacek’s three-point attempt to set up Terry Porter’s layup. Four consecutive points by Drexler capped the decisive spurt.

Porter scored 20 points and Jerome Kersey had 16 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Trail Blazers. Tim Perry and Tom Chambers scored 19 apiece for the Suns.

Kevin Johnson was held to 12 points and six assists, and Hornacek scored 16 points for Phoenix. Johnson was scoreless at the half.

The game was the most one-sided of the series and marked the end of Fitzsimmons’ coaching career in Phoenix. He announced before the playoffs that he would move to the front office next season to devote full time to his other job as player personnel director.

Assistant Paul Westphal will take over as head coach.

Portland outscored the Suns, 12-2, in the final two minutes of the second quarter to take a 71-58 lead at halftime.

Drexler scored 18 points and Porter 17 in the first half. The Trail Blazers got a major lift from Kersey, who had 10 points and four steals in the second quarter. He had 14 points and six assists at the half.

For two quarters, both teams continued the hot shooting they displayed in Game 4, when Portland won, 153-151, in double overtime in the highest-scoring playoff game in NBA history.

In the first half, the Trail Blazers shot 63% and Phoenix 52%. Both teams cooled in the second half. Portland finished at 54% and Phoenix at 44%.