JOHN STOCKTON'S three-pointer at the buzzer shot the Utah Jazz into the American National Basketball Association finals for the first time with a 103-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

Stockton took the inbound pass from Bryon Russell behind a pick from Karl Malone and had a wide-open look from the top of the arc. Rockets forward Charles Barkley was too late coming over and Stockton's shot swished through at the buzzer.

The Jazz won the best-of-seven Western Conference finals 4-2 and will play the defending champions Chicago Bulls for the NBA title beginning tomorrow. Utah reached the conference finals in four of the last six years but had never made the championship series.

Stockton's shot capped a stunning rally by the Jazz, who trailed by 13 points with less than seven minutes to play. Stockton scored 15 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including Utah's last nine in the final 83 seconds.