Boozer said he's "hopeful" he can play Friday against the Nuggets.

"It's feeling better as far as basketball drills go; hopefully I can keep moving it up," he said of his return date. "I just have to be smart and listen to the leg."

Boozer, who sustained the injury Jan. 27, said exams Monday showed a lot of bone growth.

"It's a good sign," he said. "I'm excited to be back soon, maybe this week."

Deron Williams, who missed Tuesday's game with a strained groin, said he also hopes to be back for Friday. His injury occurred in the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge during the All-Star festivities.

"I didn't know what it was, so I didn't say anything," he said. "I want to play the next game, but I'll see how it feels."

Having Williams get hurt in the All-Star hoopla is coach Jerry Sloan's worst fear when it comes to such affairs, but Williams said he couldn't go into it with the intention of playing it safe.

"I was playing, I wasn't messing around," he said. "When you get hurt is when you don't play like it's a normal game."

The two injuries meant Louis Amundson, who was signed to a second 10-day contract on Monday, was activated.

Not the place to be

Park City is gaining a bad reputation for NBA players. First, Williams and former Jazz player Robert Whaley got into a much-publicized brouhaha last year. Now, Lakers forward Vladimir Radmanovic is out for about eight weeks with a separated shoulder after slipping on ice in Park City during the All-Star break.

The Lakers play the Jazz in Salt Lake City on Monday.

While Radmanovic has been disappointing this year, averaging just 6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds, his injury comes at a horrible time for the Lakers. Radmanovic was starting in place of injured Luke Walton, who earned the starting nod over him in the preseason. Kwame Brown also is injured.

The Lakers have lost five straight games and play Portland tonight.

Try blaming the rain

Portland center Jamaal Magloire missed Monday's 5 p.m. practice because his plane from Toronto was late. He was fined an undisclosed amount by the team, and was passed over in the rotation.

Magloire has been the subject of trade rumors, adding a little mystery to his absence Monday.

By the numbers

As president of the NBA Players Union, Derek Fisher's Vegas All-Star weekend was a blur of meetings, not casino visits.

The biggest accomplishment in his mind was improving the pension plan for the league's players who retired before 1965.

They will see an increase from $2,400 to $3,600 per year of service. Players who were active for three or four years will benefit as well, instead of the previously required five years. An estimated 40 to 60 players are expected to benefit, according to the National Basketball Retired Players Association.

"We were really happy we were able to come together and get that done," Fisher said. "The NBA worked with us and to get that done means a lot. There seems to be a perception out there amongst the older players that the younger players don't care about them or respect what they did, so it was nice to not just be able to say we appreciated them, but to step up and do something to support them."

lwodraska@sltrib.com