CITY, New Jersey (Ticker) -- While the Portland Trail Blazers look to continue their maturation at the expense of the Utah Jazz, the Los Angeles Lakers just look for someone to step up in their series with the San Antonio Spurs. Both Western Conference semifinal series resume today, with Portland looking to take Game Three after splitting a pair in Utah. The Trail Blazers hung tough in Game One on Tuesday before collapsing down the stretch. They proved they could learn from their mistakes by making prudent decisions and clutch shots on Thursday, hanging on for an 84-81 victory. Isaiah Rider scored a postseason career-high 27 points for Portland. The Trail Blazers are 24-3 at home this year, but one of those losses was a 91-77 setback to Utah on March 12. The Jazz are trying to get back to the NBA Finals for the third straight year. Game time is 3 p.m. EDT. In the day's late game, a 5:30 start, the Lakers, among the preseason favorites to contend for an NBA title, face a crucial Game Three at home after dropping their two contests in San Antonio. Los Angeles is averaging just 78.5 points in the series and superstar center Shaquille O'Neal has been limited to 37 points by Spurs "Twin Towers" David Robinson and Tim Duncan. O'Neal's lack of production has been compounded by his complaining about the officiating and the poor shooting of forward Glen Rice. San Antonio hung on to home-court advantage when Duncan hit a short jump hook with 8.4 seconds left on Wednesday. Duncan's late-game heroics were made possible when Lakers guard Kobe Bryant fell apart over the final 30 seconds. Bryant missed two free throws, was part of a botched in-bounds pass and failed on a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Lakers, who are seeking to become just the eighth team to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first two games. On Friday, Reggie Miller gave Allen Iverson a postseason lesson in how to play to the crowd. Miller, motivated by taunts and chants from the sellout crowd of 20,930 at the First Union Center, scored 29 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a convincing 97-86 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. After the 76ers lost two close games in Indiana, Iverson believed his team would be energized by playing in front of the home fans. The NBA scoring champion may have been too pumped up, shooting just 13-of-33 from the field, including 2-of-10 from 3-point range. Miller has made a name for himself in the playoffs by deflating rowdy crowds with his clutch shooting. Friday night was no different as he made 9-of-14 shots, including 4-of-6 3-pointers. The experienced Pacers showed their playoff poise, repelling three rallies by the Sixers. Miller sent most of the crowd headed toward the exits with a 3-pointer that opened a 93-77 lead with 3:11 to go. Iverson scored 20 points in the first half but seemed to run out of steam in the final period, when he made just 2-of-8 shots. For the first time in the series, the Sixers appeared beaten as their 10-game home winning streak came to an end. Philadelphia allowed Indiana to shoot 50 percent from the field and was outrebounded, 49-42. Chris Mullin scored 15 points for the Pacers, who remained the only unbeaten team in the postseason and can advance to the conference finals for the second straight year with a victory in Game Four on Sunday. The last team to sweep the first two rounds was the 1993 Chicago Bulls, who went on to win the NBA title. No team has ever won a best-of-seven series after losing the first three games. The other Eastern Conference series resumes Sunday, with the New York Knicks in command, hosting Game Three against the Atlanta Hawks after winning the first two games on the road. --=-=-- 