Stockton Sticks It Buzzer-Beater Puts Jazz In Finals Vs. Bulls

John Stockton - the most accomplished passer in NBA history - can shoot a little, too.

The game’s all-time assist king produced the biggest basket his franchise has ever seen Thursday night, an all-net bomb at the buzzer that gave the Utah Jazz a 103-100 victory over the Houston Rockets and a 4-2 series triumph in the Western Conference finals.

Stockton’s 3-pointer capped a remarkable road comeback at The Summit for the Jazz, which trailed by 13 points with 6:47 remaining.

He scored 13 of Utah’s final 19 points to finish with 25 points and 13 assists for a team that will be making its NBA Finals debut starting Sunday in Chicago against the Bulls.

“I just got rid of it, and it went in,” said Stockton, the Spokane native. “I don’t know how to describe (the feeling).”

Neither did the Rockets. It was only their third loss in 14 elimination games since Rudy Tomjanovich took over as coach in February 1992. It was also the first time in the series the home team lost.

“The best team won,” Houston’s Charles Barkley said after completing his 13th season without an NBA championship. “The best team won the series.

“You can see why John Stockton is one of the five best players I’ve ever played against. That guy’s as tough as nails.”

Stockton was helped, as always, by Karl Malone, who had 24 points. Houston’s Clyde Drexler, averaging just 14.8 points through the first five games of the series, had 15 points by halftime and finished with a game-high 33.

Behind Drexler, the Rockets seized what should have been a sure-fire advantage early in the fourth quarter. Two free throws sandwiched between two 3-pointers from the once-struggling shooting guard made it 87-75 with 7:27 to play.

Houston got the lead up to 90-77 on a 3-pointer from Eddie Johnson before Utah’s unexpected recovery. A 12-2 burst - capped by consecutive layups from Stockton - made it 98-98 going into the final minute.

With 32.3 seconds left, Barkley drew a sixth foul on Greg Ostertag, ending the Jazz center’s huge night (16 points, 14 rebounds) and earning two free throws that he converted.

Stockton answered with a shot in the lane to tie it 100-100 with 22.4 seconds to play. After Drexler’s running jumper bounced out, Malone grabbed the rebound and called a timeout with 2.5 seconds left to set up the game-winner.

“Nobody really cares who the hero is when you win,” Stockton said with trademark modesty.

History suggested that a Houston victory - and, thus, a return trip to Utah for a decisive seventh game - was the probable outcome.

The Rockets came in with an unparalleled 11-2 mark in elimination games under Tomjanovich since 1993. The Jazz, meanwhile, showed up sporting a 1-11 road record in its four conference final appearances in the past six seasons, including losses here in Game 3 and 4.

But this is clearly Utah’s year. The Jazz, after going a West-best 64-18 in the regular season, had the homecourt advantage in the conference finals for the first time.

Now the Jazz will visit the Finals for the first time, leaving Barkley, Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon (16 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks) to wonder what might have been.

“Obviously, we want to go where we’ve never gone before,” Malone said. “Like ‘Star Trek.’ “(Stockton’s) was the kind of shot we’ll probably re-run for a long time. I really don’t know how I’m supposed to feel.”

Said Barkley: “Obviously, I’m disappointed, but I’m going to be a man about it. The best team won. And, obviously, the best player in this series is John Stockton.”

Jazz 103, Rockets 100

Utah (103) - Russell 6-8 0-0 15, Malone 11-24 2-4 24, Ostertag 6-6 4-4 16, Hornacek 7-15 2-2 18, Stockton 8-15 6-6 25, Eisley 1-3 0-0 2, Foster 0-1 0-0 0, Anderson 1-4 1-2 3, Carr 0-3 0-0 0, Morris 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 40-82 15-18 103.

Houston (100) - Elie 5-9 0-0 11, Barkley 5-13 10-13 20, Olajuwon 8-12 0-0 16, Drexler 10-15 8-8 33, Maloney 0-6 0-0 0, Johnson 6-11 0-0 14, Willis 1-4 2-2 4, Threatt 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 36-72 20-23 100.

Utah 23 20 27 33 - 103 Houston 21 28 22 29 - 100 3-Point goals-Utah 8-16, (Russell 3-5, Stockton 3-6, Hornacek 2-3, Eisley 0-1, Morris 0-1), Houston 8-23, (Drexler 5-7, Johnson 2-4, Elie 1-4, Barkley 0-1, Threatt 0-1, Maloney 0-6). Fouled out-Ostertag. Rebounds-Utah 42 (Ostertag 14), Houston 42 (Olajuwon 11). Assists-Utah 22 (Stockton 13), Houston 27 (Threatt 9). Total fouls- Utah 24, Houston 18. A-16,285 (16,285).

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: NBA Finals Best-of-7 series. All games on NBC. Sunday: Utah at Chicago, 4:30 p.m. Wednesday: Utah at Chicago, 6 p.m. Friday: Chicago at Utah, 6 p.m. Sunday: Chicago at Utah, 4:30 p.m.