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News » Mavericks-Jazz Preview


Mavericks-Jazz Preview


Mavericks-Jazz Preview
Not only did the Utah Jazz finish up their road trip poorly, but their depleted frontcourt didn't come out of it any healthier.

The injury-plagued Jazz could be without forwards Paul Millsap and Mehmet Okur on Friday night when they return home to face the Dallas Mavericks.

Utah (17-13) is already without All-Star forward Carlos Boozer, who will miss his 19th straight game due to a strained quadriceps tendon. Okur missed Tuesday's 94-86 loss at Milwaukee with back spasms and Millsap, who has emerged in Boozer's absence, injured his knee against the Bucks.

Millsap is questionable with a hyperextended left knee. His streak of 15 straight double-doubles ended on Tuesday as he finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.

Millsap had an MRI on Wednesday, but the Jazz said results weren't expected until Friday. Okur also is questionable.

The Jazz lost the final two games of their five-game road trip to cap a stretch in which they have dropped four of six. Utah has been very sloppy in its last two contests, committing 20 turnovers in Saturday's 106-98 loss at Chicago and 24 on Tuesday.

"We've been turning the ball over a number times in the last few games and having a terrible time handling the basketball," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said after the loss to the Bucks. "That doesn't give you much of a chance to win.

"I didn't think we really busted a gut to play the game. I thought we played kind of soft and looked like we were feeling sorry for ourself a little bit. That looks like street ball to me, the way we played."

Point guard Deron Williams had seven turnovers on Tuesday and made just five of 16 shots and finished with 17 points. Williams said the Jazz were affected went Millsap got hurt.

"It was a little scary there for a minute," Williams said. "When he went down, it made me nervous, real nervous."

Williams played some of his best basketball last season against Dallas (17-11) as Utah split the four-game season series. He averaged 23.3 points and 12.8 assists in the four games, including a career-high 41-point effort in a 125-117 road loss on Dec. 8, 2007.

The home team won all four meetings last season.

Utah is 12-2 against Western Conference foes this season, including 8-0 at home.

The Mavericks opened a three-game road trip with a 102-94 victory at Portland on Thursday. Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 of his game-high 30 points in the first half and Dallas closed the game on a 12-2 run for its third straight win.

The victory came despite Josh Howard's ejection in the third quarter after picking up a flagrant foul and two technicals in the third quarter. Howard finished with 15 points in 24 minutes.

"You know what? We fought," coach Rick Carlisle said. "We fought the whole game. There were some calls we didn't agree with and we may have lost our poise a little bit, but it was really about the fight tonight."


Author: Fox Sports
Author's Website: http://www.foxsports.com
Added: December 26, 2008

 

 
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