Battered Jazz get day off News Utah Jazz

Perhaps it's a good thing that the Jazz, who play host tonight to the New York Knicks, had Sunday off from practice. Because the rims aren't the only things that take punishment when Shaquille O'Neal is on the court, and after they were reminded of that in Saturday night's game against Phoenix at least a few bodies probably welcomed the rest. Just ask Carlos Boozer, who got pounded by the Suns' big man early on Saturday. Just ask Ronnie Brewer, who had to briefly leave the game Utah eventually won 104-99 in overtime after his funny bone received a not-so-humorous Shaq smack.

And certainly don't forget to ask Kyle Korver, who had his bell rung when he bravely stayed in the path of the 7-foot-1, 325-pound steamrolling Diesel. "He's one of those guys where he gets going one way, you know he's not going to shift around ya," Korver said. "But you've just got to be able to stand there and take it." Korver indeed stood in O'Neal's way long enough to take it ? not the first time he's taken a charge from Shaq, he reminded reporters ? and he ended up flattened on the floor. Though Korver didn't see stars, the inside of his head sounded like he was inside a bell tower. "He got me pretty good. He got me with his elbow right in my chin," Korver said. "My ear was ringing. I don't know why my ear was ringing, but (the pain) shot up my jaw into my ear." The play that happened just before halftime was both painful and worth it for Korver, who had an earache throughout the second half. "I was out for a minute," he said. "But that's what I do ? I try to take those charges." WILLIAMS' TALE TELLING: Cleveland's Mo Williams has often credited Jazz coach Jerry Sloan for kick-starting the All-Star point guard's career. In a recent interview with the New York Post, he offered added insight as to just why he feels that way. On the first day of training camp of the 2003-04 season ? and shortly after current Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko signed his massive multi-year contract ? Sloan had the team running three-man weave drills. Williams, a Jazz rookie at the time, remembers Kirilenko jogging through the drills a couple of times as everyone else sprinted. "I'll never forget Sloan's reaction," Williams told the Post. "He came storming onto the court screaming, 'D--- you, Kirilenko, you think just because you've got an $84 million contract you can do whatever the bleep you want to do out here. Well, I've got bleepin' news for you ...'" Williams took note. "Man, if Sloan was gonna get on Kirilenko like that, I knew d--- well what I had to do. I was like Speedy Gonzalez. I did exactly as told and then some," he said "The funny thing is, everything I'd heard about Jerry turned out the opposite. "A lot of bad words come out of his mouth. But, if you do it right the next time, in his next breath, he'll praise you just as heatedly. A lot of coaches don't understand; they beat you down without picking you back up." JUST KIDDING: Jazz point guard Deron Williams jokingly threw his starting backcourt buddy under the bus while talking about his overtime-forcing shot with 13.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of Saturday's OT game against the Suns. "I passed it to Ronnie Brewer. I thought he was going to be able to get a shot off. (But) he got a little scared with the ball. He kind of threw it out there," Williams said with a grin. "I just picked it up, turned around and knew I had Steve Nash on me. I felt I could get a shot off on him, and I just let it go." E-mail: jody@desnews.com Contributing: Tim Buckley