Trail Blazers Romp to Take 3-0 Series Lead

The Portland Trail Blazers, solid at every position, are solidly in control of the Utah Jazz.

Arvydas Sabonis scored 22 points and Steve Smith had 21 Thursday night as the Trail Blazers beat the Jazz, 103-84, for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

Bonzi Wells scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to help the Trail Blazers hold off a second-half Utah surge, leaving the Jazz one game from being swept in a best-of-seven series for the first time in franchise history.

“If we allowed this team to win this game, I think they’d feel like they could win the series,” Portland’s Scottie Pippen said. “This game has put some doubts into their minds.”

Game 4 is at the Delta Center on Sunday, with Utah trying to become the first team in NBA history to rally from a 3-0 deficit. The odds don’t favor it, and the Jazz players sounded like they knew it.

“Sunday is just a pride game for me,” said Karl Malone, who scored only two of his 28 points in the fourth quarter. “I don’t think anyone wants to end the year getting swept.”

The capacity crowd of 19,911, boisterous for much of the second half, began filing out with three minutes to play. The fans had seen enough, after the Trail Blazers began the fourth quarter with a 13-2 run and pulled away for another blowout victory.

“If I was in the crowd, I’d have left too,” said Jeff Hornacek, who scored 24 points for the Jazz.