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PDF versionSLIDESHOW: Jazz vs. Trail Blazers basketball
SALT LAKE CITY -- Say what?
Just days removed from his reluctant retirement, NBA star Allen Iverson not only received an endorsement from Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, the old school coach compared A.I. to ex-Jazzman John Stockton.
"I think he's a tough guy," Sloan said. "There aren't very many guys his size that can get on top of the basket, shoot layups, take a shot. Even when somebody got into him, he'd get up and go."
Sloan compared Iverson and Stockton in terms of their ability to get to the basket for layups.
"He and John (Stockton), if you look back at guys I've watched a great deal, were great layup shooters," he said. "John was a great layup shooter and so was (Iverson). And that's tough because they're not going in there against someone 5-foot-1, they're going in against some bigger guys. A lot of guys can take (shots around the basket) but to make them is the big thing."
Iverson announced his retirement last week, however, a report Saturday said the Philadelphia 76ers are considering bringing back their former superstar.
GAME 16 Jazz 108, Blazers 92
* BEST PLAY: On the final play of the first quarter, the Jazz' Deron Williams and Paul Millsap fake setting up for a pick-and-roll. At the last second, Millsap slips to the basket, receives a lob pass from Williams and throws down a dunk, putting Utah ahead 32-17.
* BEST LINE: Carlos Boozer finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
* KEY STAT: For the second consecutive game, the Jazz shoot better than 60 percent from the field.
* MILESTONE: Saturday was Utah's first win of the season against a Northwest Division opponent. Previously, the Jazz had dropped games to Denver and Oklahoma City. The have yet to play the Minnesota Timberwolves.
* SANTA DERON: Williams will give away 25 gifts to his fans between Dec. 1 and 25.
Williams announced Saturday he will celebrate "25 Days of Christmas" by giving 25 away a gift a day.
Fans can sign up daily at www.deronwilliams.com for the opportunity to win.
* DATE TO NOTE: On today's date in 1999, ex-Jazzman Tyrone Corbin, while playing for the Sacramento Kings, accomplished something neither Michael Jordan, Larry Bird nor Magic Johnson ever did. He played in his 1,000th regular season NBA game. Currently, Corbin is a Jazz assistant coach.
* INJURY REPORT: No Korver, Miles or Ronnie Price for the Jazz. ... Kyrylo Fesenko returned after missing Thursday's game with a stomach virus. He played the last 2:51 of the second quarter when Paul Millsap left the game after bumping his left knee against Portland's Rudy Fernandez. ... Andrei Kirilenko strained his lower back in the second quarter and left the game at the same time Millsap. ... Neither Millsap nor Kirilenko returned. ... The Blazers went without Nicolas Batum (right shoulder), Patrick Mills (right foot) and Travis Outlaw (left foot).
