In NBA circles, it's called the getaway game, which is the last home match-up for a team about to embark on a long trip. Winning that game is good for momentum, good for confidence and good for a team looking to start a trip on the right foot.

"We think this is going to be very important for us," point guard Deron Williams said Friday. "Boston's the best team in the league and we're playing them on Monday. We want to go into that game with confidence, and I think we need all the confidence we can get."

Not to mention that this is a huge three game stretch for Utah as it is. The Jazz's win over Portland on Thursday night was the first step in facing three of the elite teams in the league. The Magic are the next step, with their all-world center Dwight Howard and a host of shooters in Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. All the Celtics have done is achieve the best start in franchise history.

And that doesn't even factor in the remainder of the trip against teams like New Jersey, which has already beaten Utah, and Detroit, with Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace.

"I think every game is important because you have to play well every time you step out onto the court," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said.

"I want my players to play as well as they can everyday."

Orlando presents a unique set of problems for Utah. Howard is the best center in the game today, a double-double machine who controls the paint like nobody else can. The Magic surround Howard with guys that can knock down jumpers, and a point guard in Jameer Nelson that has the ability to penetrate the lane off the dribble.

The Magic will be on the tail end of back-to-back games Saturday, and that could be an advantage for the Jazz. Utah also has Mehmet Okur, who has three-point range as a center and Utah may use him to stretch Howard out of the paint. In that sense, Okur's shooting can make a huge difference for the Jazz.

"It's a good challenge for me," Okur said. "Dwight's a guy that averages 20 something points per game and 14 something rebounds per game. He could be an MVP this season. I've got to make the most of my opportunities against him."

Utah officials announced on Friday morning that Carlos Boozer won't play against the Magic. In his place, Paul Millsap will start, as he has for the entire time Boozer's been on the shelf with a strained quadricep tendon. Millsap is another guy with the mid-range game that has the ability to draw Howard away from the basket. He's also posted 10 consecutive double doubles, including a 17 point 12 rebound performance against Portland on Thursday before a national television audience.

"Dwight's a monster," Williams said. "He dunks everything, he blocks everything and he alters shots. We definitely want to stretch him out and we hope that we can do that with Mehmet and Paul."

tjones@sltrib.com