Their 89-84 victory sends them to the NBA Finals, which begin here Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers.

The Lakers were at their worst after an 18-2 run by Portland gave it a big lead. As quickly as the Trail Blazers took control, they frittered away a 73-58 lead by missing their next 13 shots.

As their energy drained, Brian Shaw hit a 3-point shot, then Robert Horry hit one, and before the Blazers could blink Shaw hit another to tie it at 75-75. Less than three minutes remained, and Staples Center rocked and rolled like it never had.

Then Kobe Bryant tossed up a pass that Shaquille O'Neal slammed home to give the Lakers an 85-79 lead with 40.1 seconds remaining, and the end was inevitable.

Before Sunday, the Lakers' franchise had been 19-0 in seven-game series in which it has had a 3-1 advantage. In the nick of time, the Lakers awoke to pump that to 20-0.

Jackson's six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls are the sparkling highlight of his resume, and now Jackson get his first chance to prove he can weave his Zen magic with a team that doesn't have anyone on its roster with "M.J." initials.

Even then, however, Jackson owned a mortal 2-2 playoff record in Game 7s. Make that 3-2.

Scottie Pippen of Portland loses a chance to add to his jewelry collection without the help of His Airness.

Also, 15 of the last 20 teams that won the most regular-season games in the league had advanced to the NBA Finals. The Lakers won a season-best 67 games, and they made it 16 of the last 21 by getting by Portland.

O'Neal might be most thankful. He won his first Most Valuable Player trophy, but he and his teammates eyed only one thing -- a championship -- all season. Anything less, and 1999-2000 would be considered a disappointment.

One step left.

"The best thing of doing a jigsaw puzzle, if you ever did a really nice one, is making sure you get every piece in place. When you finish it, that's success," Horry said recently. "If everyone fits into the right spot, we'll be drinking champagne and eating lobster."

Put them on ice.

Shaq now gets a chance to leave the company of Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone and John Stockton -- the only four players named among the 50 greatest NBA players in October 1996 who have not won championships.

Portland didn't trail again in the first half after Damon Stoudamire drilled a 3-point shot for an 11-9 lead halfway through the first quarter. That was part of a 13-point run by the Blazers that hushed the home crowd.

Pippen hit a couple of free throws after getting hacked and came back with a 3-point bomb of his own on the next possession, and Steve Smith capped the impressive run, which gave the Blazers a 19-9 lead, with a 3-pointer from the left side.

L.A. whittled it to a four-point deficit early in the second quarter, but the Blazers regained control when he spun in on a backpedaling Rick Fox, hit the close shot and then nailed the ensuing free throw from Fox's foul.

The Lakers bungled three consecutive possessions, on two missed shots by Derek Fisher and a kick-away by Kobe Bryant, and Rasheed Wallace sank a 3-point shot to pump Portland's edge to 35-25.

Then O'Neal was slapped with his third foul of the game, with six minutes left in the second quarter, and it looked like a sticky situation for the Lakers. But O'Neal began waking up, sinking a hook shot and an elegant turn-around jumper.

When Glen Rice sank a 3-pointer from the right side, the Lakers were within 35-32 of the Blazers and Staples exploded for the first time all evening. Portland coach Mike Dunleavy called for a timeout to settle the situation, and it worked.

But only for a little while.

Rasheed Wallace has a monster game for Portland, but it's not enough to beat the Lakers.(AP)

Bryant returned to his wild ways, Rice missed a long shot and Horry tossed up what was likely one of the worst 23-foot shots by any NBA player since October. Arvydas Sabonis hit two free throws, Detlef Schrempf worked Horry for a left-handed hook, and the Blazers led 39-32.

Portland led by only a 42-39 margin at the half because the Lakers scored on four of their last five possessions, and the Blazers opened the second half by repeatedly dumping the ball low to Wallace against A.C. Green.

That resulted in two misses by Wallace, two turnovers and a pass out to Sabonis, who sank a 20-foot shot. Wallace scored only once, on a bank shot from the right post.

The Lakers eked back into it, taking their first lead in about 24 minutes when Rice sailed in for a layup and a free throw, after getting knocked by Pippen, to make it 49-48.