It's true. Even after Saturday's loss at Dallas, the Jazz (24-17) have managed to stay in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. It is a tribute to a deep, flexible roster and some of Jerry Sloan and his staff's best coaching that this season has not become a complete disaster, amid everything the Jazz have experienced. Think of the epidemic this way: Spreading the total number of missed games among 15 players, the Jazz have gone the equivalent of seven games of having nobody available.

"I haven't cried about us having guys out of the lineup as long as I've been here," Sloan said. "That's part of the business. If you're going to cry about that, then that's pretty weak."

So the Jazz have soldiered on, while Olympic players Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams have started only two games together. The Jazz went 11-7 without John Stockton to start the 1997-98 season, and that was with nobody else injured and an NBA Finals-level team in place. The current team is 16-13 without Boozer -- and lot of other folks at various times, resulting in 13 different starting lineups.

"These guys have hung in there pretty good," Sloan said.

No kidding. They have been inconsistent and

maddeningly soft on the road, but considering what could have happened under the circumstances, this first half has to be labeled a success.

Boozer's absence has allowed for the emergence of Paul Millsap, but that also means there's no Millsap coming off the bench. What's more, Millsap himself has missed seven games, the latest absence coming after he bumped knees with teammate Kyle Korver. Bumped knees? That incident during a game ranks third on the Jazz's unusual hit list, behind the golf cart accident (Jarron Collins) and the problems caused by surgery (Matt Harpring) that also have hurt them. All the rotation regulars except Ronnie Brewer have been sidelined, while Ronnie Price performs the goofy role of starting sometimes, not even playing other times.

"Every day," said Andrei Kirilenko, "you never know who's going to be out."

Harpring added, "You've just got to play through it. The NBA doesn't stop."

Fortunately, in that sense, it is a long season. The Jazz still have time to move up in the standings.

The trouble is that duplicating last season's 31-10 second half will be very difficult, because Korver is not walking through that door. He's already here, meaning there's nobody to deliver the kind of lift he gave the Jazz when he arrived last season via trade. Boozer will try, but his return will be more a case of fitting in and preparing for the playoffs than giving them a huge boost immediately.

Denver will win the Northwest Division title, but the Jazz can finish sixth or better in the West and avoid the Los Angeles Lakers or San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs. They have been strained, sprained and inflamed, and that's not counting their spasms. Yet they still can recover, having given themselves a chance to salvage this season with their second-half performance.

"It'd be nice for injuries and things to go away," Williams said, "but once we get everybody healthy, we'll be ready to roll."

That's as opposed to rolling over, as this team could have done.

kkragthorpe@sltrib.com

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