Rockets, Smith Keep Knicks at Bay, 86-84 : NBA finals: Guard’s three-point shot with 3:19 left helps stall New York comeback, setting up Game 7.

Kenny Smith’s horrible series turned terrific with one flick of the wrist that sent a 3-pointer through the hoop and helped the Houston Rockets stay alive in the NBA finals.

His shot with 3:19 left and New York fighting back sparked the Rockets to an 86-84 win Sunday night that tied the series 3-3 with Game 7 Wednesday night in Houston.

Smith, the starting point guard who had just 25 points in the series to that point, launched his shot from the top of the key. It gave Houston an 84-77 lead.

He was mobbed by his teammates when he returned to the bench as the Knicks called a timeout.

But the Knicks were far from done as John Starks, who had 16 points in the fourth quarter, hit a basket with 1:33 left and a 3-pointer 20 seconds later to make it 84-82. Houston didn’t score on its next possession, but Hakeem Olajuwon stole a pass by Starks, was fouled and made two free throws with 39 seconds remaining.

Anthony Mason’s 12-footer with 32 seconds left brought New York back within two and a long jumper by Smith as the shot clock wound down went in and out.

The Knicks had the ball and a final chance with 7.6 seconds left.

Starks’ 3-pointer at the buzzer fell way short and was knocked out of bounds.

Olajuwon had 30 points and 10 rebounds for Houston, while Carl Herrera had 12 points and Smith seven.

Starks finished with 27 points and Patrick Ewing had 17 points and 15 rebounds.

Now Houston has the homecourt advantage that New York seized by winning the previous two games.

Home teams have won the last 19 Game 7s. The Rockets, who began the season with 15 straight wins, will be NBA champions if they can end it with two in a row.

Wednesday night’s Game 7 will be the first in an NBA Finals in six years and only the third in the last 16. The last time it happened, the Los Angeles Lakers overcame a 3-2 deficit by winning two straight at home against Detroit in 1988.

Home teams are 57-11 in all Game 7s played in NBA history. But four of the last five championships were clinched on the road.

Houston is 2-1 in seventh games, including a comeback from a 2-0 deficit to Phoenix in this year’s Western Conference semifinals. The Knicks won two seventh games this year against Chicago and Indiana and are 6-5 overall.

Trailing 27-26 with 9 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter, the Rockets took control with a 9-0 run and led 46-36 at halftime on 53 percent shooting. The Knicks hit only 34 percent of their shots and were outrebounded 24-16.

New York missed its first five shots before taking a 15-6 lead on Charles Oakley’s jumper with 4:47 left in the first period. Houston scored eight of the last 10 points of the quarter, six on two 3-pointers by Robert Horry, to tie the game at 21.

The Rockets started the second period with a 3-pointer by Sam Cassell and a jump hook by Herrera, who had 10 points in the half. That put Houston on top 26-21, but the Knicks went ahead with the next six points, five by Charles Smith.

Then New York went nearly five minutes without a basket as Houston began its nine-point spurt with a dunk by Herrera, who hit all five of his shots in the half. It ended with a dunk by Olajuwon, who led all scorers in the first half with 12 points.

The Rockets built their biggest lead of the half, 43-32 with 2:49 remaining, on Herrera’s 14-footer and Olajuwon’s two foul shots. Vernon Maxwell gave Houston its 10-point halftime lead with a 3-pointer.

Houston took its biggest lead of the game, 58-46 with five minutes left in the third quarter. But New York outscored the Rockets 16-7 after that to cut it to 65-62 with one period to go.

Derek Harper started the rally with a 3-pointer and Mason, who had missed his other four shots, hit a second-chance jumper at the buzzer to end it.