Utah Jazz: Ticket prices won't be going up News Utah Jazz

The Jazz aren't immune to negative impact from the nation's weakening economy, but that reality will work to the benefit of season-ticket holders for the 2009-10 NBA season. Jazz president Randy Rigby on Wednesday said the franchise has "seen a weakening of (sales of) individual game tickets" stemming from a tightening of discretionary spending by spectators. "For that reason," Rigby said, "we're staying with holding tickets flat this coming year ? because we feel that we want to reach out and help our season-ticket holders not to incur any more stress or pressures."

Though renewal forms won't be distributed to season-ticket holders for another couple weeks, Rigby said approximately 97.5 percent of prices for next season will be the same as this season. The Jazz have announced sellouts of 19,911 for 27 of their 28 home games at EnergySolutions Arena so far in 2008-09, but that number reflects tickets distributed and not necessarily tickets sold. A Nov. 1 game against the Los Angeles Clippers that drew an announced crowd of 19,602 is the lone exception. Their average of 19,899, incidentally, currently ranks fifth in the league behind only Detroit, Chicago, Portland and Dallas. In another nod to current economic conditions, Rigby suggested the franchise is offering more than usual to corporate sponsors ? "so we can give them more bang for their buck that they're spending with us," he said. On the belt-tightening side, Rigby said the club has put planned sponsor-related building enhancements ? including the marketing of so-called "bunker suites" ? on hold. But the Jazz, Rigby said, won't be among the up-to-15 franchises expected to ask to borrow up to $11.7 million for general operating and payroll expenses from a $175 million added line of credit that the NBA recently reportedly secured. "The commissioner (David Stern) reported (last weekend) that the positive thing, collectively, is that the NBA (has) held serve in staying flat," Rigby said with reference to income vs. expenses. "That is a positive thing for us. "On our side," he added with regard to the individual Jazz franchise, "we've been able to do the same thing." BOOZER OUT, OKUR PROBABLE:Carlos Boozer on Wednesday didn't rule himself out of the Jazz's game tonight against Boston, but the team did. A Jazz spokesman said Boozer, who has missed 42 straight games because of his arthroscopically repaired left knee, is "out" for the TNT-televised meeting with the Celtics. Boozer, though, didn't suggest nearly as much when speaking prior to practice Wednesday morning. "Doing good. My knee's great," the two-time All-Star power forward said. "I had a great workout (Tuesday)." Boozer stretched with the team before Wednesday's workout. But he didn't take part in the actual practice, and instead returned to individual rehab. He left his potential return date open-ended, though the team made it clear it doesn't plan to have him tonight. Also Wednesday, starting center Mehmet Okur made it through the entire practice. Okur missed Tuesday night's win over Memphis with flu-like symptoms, but he's being called "probable" for tonight. HE SAID IT: Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, on the defending NBA-champion Celtics: "They seemed (in December, when Utah played them last) to have not lost anything from where they were a year ago." BY THE NUMBERS: When point guard Deron Williams' string of games with 30-plus points while also shooting 50-plus percent from the field ended Tuesday at five, so did the longest such streak by a guard since Michael Jordan in 1996 ? and the chance to tie identical streaks of six set by "Pistol" Pete Maravich in 1976 and Karl Malone in 1995. ? A 10-footer hit late in Tuesday's third quarter ended Jazz backup point guard Brevin Knight's missed-shots streak at 20. ? The Jazz are 3-0 on nationally televised games this season, including 2-0 on TNT. E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com