Porter, Trail Blazers Just Came Up Short : NBA playoffs: Portland guard thought he made shot that could have sent series to Game 7.

Guard Terry Porter of the Portland Trail Blazers simply shook his head in disgust.

“Nine out of 10 times I probably make that shot,” Porter said. “The shot felt great. It felt great when it left my hand. I thought it was good.”

But Porter’s open 17-foot jumper from the right side with four seconds left missed, and the Lakers hung on to defeat Portland, 91-90, Thursday night at the Forum to win the Western Conference championship for the ninth time in the Magic Johnson era.

Trailing by a point, Portland had a chance to force a seventh game after Jerome Kersey blocked Vlade Divac’s layup with 12.5 seconds left and the 24-second clock expired. The Trail Blazers used their last timeout to set up a play.

Portland inbounded the ball to guard Clyde Drexler, who had 23 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter. After two Lakers converged on Drexler, who had the option to shoot or pass, Drexler fed Porter, who was wide open.

“We ran the same play we always run, where I get it and take the option,” Drexler said. “I could dribble and penetrate or hit the guy who’s open on the weak side, who was Terry. He was wide open. The right thing to do was to get the ball to Terry.”

But Porter’s shot hit the rim and bounced away to the left side, where the Lakers’ Magic Johnson controlled the rebound, wrestling it away from Kersey, and heaved the ball down the court in an attempt to ice the game. The ball rolled out of bounds with 0.1 seconds left on the clock, and Portland could manage only a desperation heave.

Porter, who made 10 of 18 shots, including three of four three-point shots, and scored 24 points, will have all summer to replay his last shot that would have kept the Trail Blazers alive.

“I got a good look at it,” Porter said. “It was right on line. It felt great when it left my hand. It was just a little bit short. I had a wide-open shot within my range. What more could you ask for?

“Right now I’m not replaying (the shot), but I’m sure I will later. We made it to the finals last year and we wanted to try to get back, so it’s disappointing not to get back this time.”

Wave after wave of reporters converged upon Porter, asking him to describe the final shot and his explanation never changed.

“I’ve said probably say this 50 times tonight: The shot felt great when it left my hand, it was just a little short. I’d love to have that shot again,” Porter said.

But the Trail Blazers, who trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, wouldn’t have been in a position to win the game if not for Porter, who scored 15 points in the second half, hitting seven of 10 shots, including two three-point attempts.

With the Trail Blazers trailing, 91-88, after Vlade Divac made two free throws with 43.3 seconds left, Porter banked in a 16-foot jumper over forward Sam Perkins with 35.4 seconds remaining to cut the Laker lead to one.

Porter felt he was fouled on the play, but no foul was called.

“It was a pick-and-roll and Sam switched on to me,” Porter said. “I thought about trying to take him, but I took a step back and pump faked and shot. I thought he hit me on the arm. I’d like to see the replay, but there’s nothing you can do about it.

In addition to Porter’s miss, Portland wasted another shot at taking the lead in the final minute.

The Trail Blazers were trailing, 89-88, when a Laker turnover created a four-on-one break. Porter fed Kersey, who passed to center Cliff Robinson, who was alone under the basket. But Robinson fumbled the ball out of bounds with 56.6 seconds remaining.

“I expected it a little earlier than that and I just took my eyes off the ball and I missed it,” Robinson said. “That didn’t make the game, but I missed it.

“I was terribly hurt because that was a play that would have put us up by one with less than a minute to go. I just have to come back and not dwell on it.

“We had two good opportunities at the end to go up one. We just didn’t finish them off. I missed the pass and Terry got a good shot up, but it just didn’t go.”

Like Porter, Robinson will have a long time to reflect on his turnover.

“I’ll remember it, but we got another good shot at it and Terry’s shot didn’t go down,” Robinson said. “I can’t look at that play and say that messed the whole game up because it didn’t. That was just one play.”

But that one play and Porter’s missed shot ended the Trail Blazers’ season.