The Portland Trail Blazers arrive in Utah without injured center Greg Oden but secure in the knowledge that, just like Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, they won three of four games from the Jazz last season.

"They just dominated us, all the way around," coach Jerry Sloan said. "Everything we tried to do, they took away from us. We just couldn't deal with them."

The Trail Blazers limited the Jazz to 43.9 percent shooting in those four games. Offensively, Utah had to a difficult time stopping Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and the Blazers' ability to draw-and-kick.

Exhibit A: Portland averaged 43 free throws per game.

"The only time we had success against them, they played the night before," Sloan said. "But that was last year. Hopefully, we'll do better."

Williams drills

Jazz point guard Deron Williams participated in some noncontact drills during practice Tuesday, but he is listed as doubtful for the game against Portland because of a sprained ankle.

Jazz forward Matt Harpring (ankle infection) won't play.

Meanwhile, Portland will once again be without Oden, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft who missed last season because of knee surgery.

Oden played 13 minutes in the Blazers' opener against the Lakers before suffering a sprained foot. He is expected to be sidelined another 1-3 weeks.

"I'm hoping we can get him back as soon as we can," coach Nate McMillan told the Portland Oregonian. "I don't know. Basically, I just have to listen to the trainers. He's not out of the boot yet, so right now he's not close to getting on the floor."

Honor Olympians

The Jazz will honor five 2008 Olympic participants at halftime.

Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko of the Jazz as well as Matt Brown and Kevin Jepsen of the Salt Lake Bees represented their countries in Beijing.

Boozer and Williams played on the United States' basketball team, Kirilenko played on the Russian basketball team and Brown and Jepsen played on the United States' baseball team.

luhm@sltrib.com