Feisty Blazers Advance

Steve Smith got mad, then he kept the Minnesota Timberwolves from getting even.

Smith made a key three-point basket minutes after drawing a technical for tangling with Anthony Peeler, and the Portland Trail Blazers went on to eliminate the Wolves from the NBA playoffs with an 85-77 victory Tuesday night.

“I thought if I hit that one, it would really take the life out of them,” Smith said.

And it did.

The Trail Blazers won the best-of-five series, 3-1, and advanced to face the Utah-Seattle winner. The Jazz leads that series, 2-1, with Game 4 tonight in Seattle.

Minnesota failed to reach the second round for the fourth consecutive season. Blame the Timberwolves’ starters, who shot only 35% from the floor.

Smith and Peeler confronted each other with 5:07 left and the Timberwolves clinging to a 73-72 lead. Smith fell down after taking a long jumper, and Peeler, angered at having caught an elbow on the play, walked over him slowly. The two jawed at each other and drew double-technical fouls.

A minute later, Smith was called for a foul on Peeler, and Smith stared him down again. Trail Blazer Coach Mike Dunleavy took Smith out briefly.

“I didn’t want his emotions to get away from him,” Dunleavy said.

Smith, who rarely gets rankled, said he just couldn’t help confronting Peeler.

“I don’t want anybody to step on me when I’m down,” he said. “But that’s over. I don’t want to get into that. It was the heat of the moment. It’s a playoff game. It’s over.”

And so is Minnesota’s season, thanks to Smith.

After the game, Smith and Peeler put the dispute behind them, shaking hands as they walked off the court.

“We’re tight,” Peeler said. “We’re friends.”

The Trail Blazers trailed, 75-74, before Smith’s three-pointer with 3:45 left, and the Timberwolves never regained the lead.

Scottie Pippen (11 points) penetrated and dished off to Smith, who finished with 14 points, one fewer than Rasheed Wallace and Arvydas Sabonis.

“Pippen really helped me. He drew two defenders and I was wide open,” Smith said.

After Grant’s basket gave Portland a 79-75 lead, Terrell Brandon’s layup made it 79-77 with just under a minute left.

Wallace banked in a jumper from the top of the circle with 32 seconds left, barely beating the buzzer and giving Portland a four-point lead. His two free throws 12 seconds later iced it.

Kevin Garnett, who nearly recorded his third triple-double of the series, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, said Smith’s three-pointer and Wallace’s buzzer beater were dual daggers.

“Those are like pins in your back, thorns in your arms,” Garnett said. “Everything you have in you, it takes it out of you.”