Memo Okur was back Monday night.

Sore back or no sore back.

Okur, who missed Sunday's loss at Oklahoma City because of back spasms, was listed as questionable before Utah's game against the beleaguered Washington Wizards.

During a 24-minute effort, however, Okur felt well enough to score 14 points, grab six rebounds, block three shots and make six of his seven field-goal attempts. He helped Utah score a 112-89 win.

Okur was particularly effective early, when his back was loose from pregame treatment. He scored seven points in the opening four minutes. Later, he blocked two shots in 27 seconds.

"I was feeling good at the beginning," Okur said afterward. "I got treatment before the game and it really worked out for me.

"The second half, it kind of felt sore because my body cooled down at halftime. ... It's a little sore now. But hopefully I will be OK for the next game."

Okur's first two field goals came during the Jazz's first three possessions, when he put the ball on the floor and drove to the rim.

"That's one of the things our coaches have worked on with him a great deal," coach Jerry Sloan said. "We tried to get him to do that a year ago and he basically just shot jump shots. But once in a while, when it's open, take it."

Asked once again about his obvious improvement on taking the ball to the basket, Okur rolled his eyes.

"Like I've said before," he explained, "every night I want to start the game getting a cut to the basket and maybe some easy baskets or free throws. And I did tonight. I was active at the beginning."

Teammate Deron Williams has watched Okur evolve from a stand-still jump shooter to a big man who can take advantage of defenders who crowd him too closely on the perimeter.

How much has Okur improved that aspect of this game?

"You want a scale from one to 10?" he said. "For a center, he's probably about a si ... an eight."

Smiling, Williams added, "Teams cover him out there now. So he's not getting as many open looks. But he's added the pump fake and drive to the basket. And he does a good job of just catching and going."

Williams called it a sign of respect.

"They close out to him so hard," he said. "So now he just takes them off the dribble and gets to the basket."

Against Washington, which started 6-foot-11 Andray Blatche and 7-foot JaVale McGee, Okur's ability to play was important.

Without him, Utah's froncourt quickly gets smaller than ideal, especially with Andrei Kirilenko sidelined with a calf injury.

"I know," Okur said. "But it's such a long season. We play 100 games. I wish I was out there every single night but, like I said, it's a long season."With 6:54 left in the third quarter, Blatche slammed a dunk over Okur to cut Utah's lead to 71-49.

But even a good play turned out badly for the woeful Wizards because Blatche was slapped with a technical foul for taunting.

luhm@sltrib.com