PORTLAND, Ore., May 16 -- Scottie Pippen, in search of his seventh NBA championship ring, made a go-ahead three-pointer over a tortured Bryon Russell with 7.3 seconds to play Tuesday night to lift the Portland Trail Blazers into the Western Conference finals for the second straight year with an 81-79 victory over the Utah Jazz.
Playing their worst game of the postseason, the Trail Blazers scrambled to score the final six points and eliminate the Jazz in five games. Portland bounced Utah from the conference semifinals last year, in six games.
Pippen, who had 23 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, teamed with Michael Jordan to win six championships with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. He joined Portland this season.
Although he is among the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, he usually has performed in a secondary role. Tuesday night was different.
"I want to think that I am (a leader)," Pippen said. "I think that the experience I have had in the past and what I have been able to do will help lead this team but I don't want to shoulder the entire load."
With the Blazers trailing 79-77, Pippen launched a three-pointer from the left wing over a sagging Russell to give Portland the lead. It was Russell defending when Jordan hit the jumper that gave the Bulls the 1998 championship over the Jazz.
"I was looking to go inside to Rasheed (Wallace) to get something quick but they played that pretty well," Pippen said. "Then Russell jumped back into the passing lane and I just looked for the shot. I knew we had to get a shot off because it was around seven seconds at that time."
Russell, who scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, had two chances to get even and failed both times. He took a pretty pass from John Stockton and was fouled with three seconds left but short-armed both free throws.
After Pippen rebounded the second and made 1-of-2 from the line, Russell's potential game-winning three-pointer was blocked by Rasheed Wallace, who knocked Russell to the floor as the horn sounded.
"I got Rasheed up in the air and I thought he fouled me but they didn't call it," Russell said.
The loss ended yet another fruitless playoff run by the Jazz and the career of guard Jeff Hornacek, one of the game's best shooters, who had said this season would be his last. In his final NBA game, he scored 10 points.
"Actually, I wasn't thinking about it being my last game, but it is sad that I won't be out there anymore," said Hornacek, who was joined at a postgame interview by his wife and three children. "It will give me a chance to spend more time with these three guys and my wife."
"Jeff has been a very great player for us over the years," said Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan. "Unfortunately, people waited until this year to recognize what a great player he is."
Karl Malone had 27 points and 11 rebounds for the Jazz, who led for most of the game and appeared on the verge of forcing a sixth game back in Utah. However, they lost their 14th straight playoff game in Portland, dating to 1988.
"This is a tough way to end the season," Malone said. "You get nothing for second place in this business."
