MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- After he scored a season-high and game-high 23 points Saturday night, and shot 9-of-15 from the field, including 4-for-5 from 3-point range, it almost seems safe to say:
Mehmet Okur is back. The Jazz's starting center missed four road games earlier this month while spending time with his seriously ill father Abdullah in Turkey, then missed a fifth because his lower back was tight and strained from the long trip overseas.
He played last Wednesday against Milwaukee, and again Friday night at San Antonio, but looked far from his usual self.
In a 103-94 road victory Saturday over the Memphis Grizzlies, however, even Okur himself had to agree that he finally was back to form.
Or at least well on the way.
"I feel better every day," he said after Saturday's win. "I'm getting there."
MILLSAP STARTS: With Carlos Boozer out Saturday, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan decided to start usual backup Paul Millsap at power forward against the Grizzlies.
Millsap took the place of rookie Kosta Koufos, who opened in a loss Friday at San Antonio -- and may have gotten in a bit over his head trying to guard Spurs All-Star Tim Duncan.
"We need to put everything we can into it to try to win a game on the road," Sloan said in explaining the decision.
"Right now, I'm trying to figure out who we could put out there and win," he added. "The young kid (Koufos) got confused on a couple possessions to the start the ballgame (in San Antonio). ... That's expected, but we need to let them know we're gonna get out there and play."
As an aside, Sloan added, Koufos probably experienced some "anxiety" because "being on the same floor as Tim Duncan sometimes is a little overwhelming."
The start was just the fourth of Millsap's three-season career. He finished with eight points and four rebounds, and logged just 18 minutes.
INJURY UPDATE: Boozer missed a second straight game due to a strained quadriceps tendon and a bruised kneecap sustained in the fourth quarter of last Wednesday's win over Milwaukee.
He hopes to be back within seven to 10 days from the time of the injury but could be out longer.
Also out Saturday was starting point guard Deron Williams, who still hopes to return when Memphis visits Utah on Wednesday; shooting guard Kyle Korver, still out with a re-sprained shooting wrist; and reserve big man Jarron Collins, still bothered by a bad elbow.
Reserve Matt Harpring (ankle surgery) did play Saturday, even though it was the second game of a back-to-back set. E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com
