SALT LAKE CITY, May 12 -- Karl Malone scored six of his 32 points in overtime and grabbed 20 rebounds and the Utah Jazz took advantage of Shaquille O'Neal fouling out late in the fourth quarter Monday night to capture a 98-93 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers and a 4-1 victory in their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. The win puts Utah in the Western Conference finals for the fourth time in six years. The Jazz will play the winner of the other West semifinal between Houston and Seattle. John Stockton had 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field and 10 assists and Bryon Russell added 22 points for the Jazz. Nick Van Exel led the Lakers with 26 points. O'Neal, who fouled out with 1:46 remaining in regulation and Los Angeles leading by three, finished with 23 points. O'Neal picked up his sixth foul when he bumped Malone in the lane. Malone converted 1-of-2 free throws to pull Utah within 87-85. After Van Exel shot an air ball from inside the foul line, Russell hit a double- pump 12-foot jumper to tie the score at 87-87 with 1:13 left in the fourth quarter. Jerome Kersey scored inside over Utah center Greg Ostertag to give the Lakers an 89-87 advantage with 58.3 seconds remaining. But Stockton, who had 10 points in the fourth quarter, scored on a driving layup with 39.1 seconds remaining to tie it at 89-89. After Ostertag blocked a driving shot by Los Angeles' Eddie Jones, Malone missed a fadeaway jumper.
Ostertag grabbed the rebound, but had the ball stripped by Van Exel with 11.3 seconds left. The Lakers had a chance to win it in regulation, but Kobe Bryant, who finished with 11 points, shot an air ball at the buzzer. Bryant would miss three more shots, including two air balls, in the overtime.