This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Jazz forward Paul Millsap attempted to fight through the pain. But after dealing all day with a "pulling" sensation caused by a bruised right hip, the player who hates to miss games was forced to sit out his first one of the season Wednesday against Atlanta.
Millsap said during a morning shootaround that he would try and take the court. But about an hour before tipoff he wore a towel instead of his normal uniform, speaking softly while discussing an injury that is "different" than any thigh-related ailment he has had in the past.
"It's unusual," Millsap said. "It's something I'm not used to feeling."
Millsap plans to rest as much as possible until a road game Friday versus Memphis, and will then attempt to play against the Grizzlies.
"You've got to be smart about this situation," he said. "It's a long season."
Staying home
A magnetic resonance imaging test taken last Thursday of Jazz center Mehmet Okur's back revealed no significant differences from a previous MRI, the team announced Wednesday.
Okur is dealing with a strained lower back that he suffered Dec. 29 during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He did not play Wednesday versus the Hawks, and will not travel with Utah for an upcoming two-game road trip.
Okur has missed four consecutive contests due to his back injury, and will have sat out 34 of the Jazz's 38 games this season after the road trip is complete. In addition to back pain that is caused by inflammation and irritation, Okur has dealt with an eight-month recovery from left Achilles tendon surgery and a right ankle sprain.
No limit
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan does not have a team rule governing gambling while riding on an airplane.
Memphis' O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen were recently involved in a fistfight on a plane following a gambling-related dispute.
Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins responded to the altercation by banning betting during future air travel.
Sloan said that players will gamble in their hotel or someplace else if gambling is outlawed on a plane. Thus, all Sloan asks is that his players not embarrass themselves or the organization if they participate in the activity.
bsmith@sltrib.comTwitter: tribjazz