<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">They're 1-3 so far on an Eastern Conference road trip that ends tonight in New York. They have not put together more than two consecutive wins so far this season. They have $22 million-plus in payroll tied up by two guys who are in California while they're still back East, and yet the Jazz insist they have not yet lost all hope. "We're a young team, and we've had some misfortunate things happen. But that's OK. I don't have a problem with that," coach Jerry Sloan said after Utah's latest loss, this one coming Wednesday night at Boston. "I just like to see guys compete, and hopefully know what you're doing when out on the floor." But not all do, which proves especially costly with would-be starters Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko hanging late this week in the Los Angeles area. The Jazz hope to learn today the prognosis for Kirilenko, who went to California to have his injured lower back evaluated. He has missed Utah's last 2 1/2 games with back spasms, and the Jazz are hoping that there are no structural problems so he can return shortly after Christmas. Boozer, meanwhile, remains at his L.A.-area home nursing the strained hamstring that's kept him out all season. The Jazz expect to re-evaluate him Monday, but even if Boozer is cleared to resume workouts with the team then — and that's hardly certain — it probably would be several days before he is ready to play his first game since last Feb. 14.</div> <div align="center">Source</div>
