Carlos Boozer really wants to return soon from the injury that's kept him out of the Jazz lineup since mid-November -- and, in his words, he wants it "so bad."
Just don't expect that badly desired comeback to happen tonight. For the 13th game in a row, Boozer will be sidelined when the Jazz host the Orlando Magic at EnergySolutions Arena in a 7 p.m. game.
For the first time this year, the Jazz will also be without Ronnie Brewer. The starting shooting guard was excused by the team for this game to attend his aunt's funeral.
Replacing the void left by Boozer has become a no-brainer decision for the Jazz coaching staff. Backup power forward Paul Millsap has notched 10 double-doubles in a row filling in for Boozer, who's been out nearly a month with a strained left quad and a bruised kneecap.
Utah has quite a few more options when it comes to Brewer's spot.
The Jazz think tank was still mulling over how to handle Brewer's absence at practice Friday. Coach Jerry Sloan hinted he might bring former starter Andrei Kirilenko back into the starting rotation, which could push C.J. Miles down to the 2-guard spot. He could also go with Kyle Korver or Morris Almond -- maybe even Ronnie Price -- and keep his Russian in the reserve cavalry role he's so well adapted to this season.
Whatever decision Sloan makes, it will be the eighth different lineup the Jazz have used at tipoff time in 25 games this year.
It also means that Miles -- assuming, of course, he remains in one piece prior to tonight's game, knock on wood -- will be the only Jazz starter to actually start in every game to this point.
"It's no stranger to us for somebody to be missing," Miles said. "Somebody's going to have to step up."
Lots of somebodies probably.
Superstar-in-the-making Dwight Howard and the Magic have the fourth-best record in the NBA and brought a four-game winning streak into their game against Phoenix on Friday night.
Beating Orlando at home hasn't proved to be an easy trick for NBA teams, either. The Magic have made opponents' home-court advantages vanish into thin air, racking up an 8-2 record away from Amway Arena prior to the Phoenix game. Statistically, that's an even better record than Utah's 10-3 mark at EnergySolutions Arena.
Deron Williams says the Jazz will "try to build some momentum" for the long trip away from home that awaits Utah beginning Monday in Boston. Plus, he's hoping Utah can get its first three-game winning streak since the team opened the season at 5-0.
"It'd be good for our confidence," Williams said of winning tonight, "and hopefully we can use that on the road."
Speaking of something they could use -- somebody, actually -- Boozer is still holding out hope to play soon. As of Friday's practice, however, he had been ruled "out" for tonight's game by the team.
Boozer, who's missed 12 games with a strained left quad tendon and a bruised kneecap, exercised on a stationary bicycle prior to practice Friday. He indicated that he's participated in warm-ups with the team the past three or four days, and he planned on doing at least that.
It's the injured knee, Boozer admitted, that is delaying the All-Star's return.
"When the knee's ready, I'll go," he said.
Despite his proclaimed desire to get back into action, Boozer said he needs to be able to do certain movements "without feeling any pain" before returning.
"I wish it would have never happened," he said of the injury that occurred on Nov. 19 against Milwaukee. "But it's part of Basketball."
Tell the Jazz about it. Their players have missed a whopping 76 man games due to injuries, illnesses and personal reasons already this year.
"You've got to do the best you can to compensate for injuries," Sloan said. "Sitting around crying about it is not going to get it done or complaining about it. You've got to go play." E-mail: jody@desnews.com
