LOS ANGELES ? The Jazz will again be without Mehmet Okur when they face the Los Angeles Lakers tonight in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Okur remains out with the strained right hamstring he suffered April 13, which now has cost him three games. He said he was feeling better but "not quite" ready to play. Okur has done some light shooting and running the last two days. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said he would go with the same starting lineup as in Sunday's Game 1 loss to the Lakers, with veteran Jarron Collins taking Okur's place and Kyle Korver giving the Jazz another shooter on the court.
Sloan was asked if he was surprised that Okur's injury has dragged on for more than a week. "Not when you get a hamstring," Sloan said. "You better get it taken care of. Those things can really cause you a lot of problems."
Sloan added that he wasn't concerned about the team becoming distracted waiting for Okur to return. "I feel bad about the players," Sloan said, "but we have to go on about our business. Our job still remains the same."
Matt Harpring also missed the Jazz's pregame shootaround Tuesday with gastric irritation. Harpring is believed to have been bothered by the antibiotics he was given to treat a nasal infection he suffered last week.
rsiler@sltrib.com
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