All that said, Fisher suggested — when asked — that he's never whacked anybody in the head during his lengthy NBA career.

"It's never been something I'd consider," he said.

BROWN BACK: Jazz rookie reserve point guard Dee Brown returned to the active roster Tuesday after missing two games with a sprained neck sustained when teammate Mehmet Okur fell on him during Game 2 of Utah's series with the Warriors.

He was thrilled to be back.

"It's fun to watch, but you also want to be part of it," Brown said. "After getting just a little playing time, you want to get out there and see just how much fun those guys are really having."

REST WANTED: The Jazz went into Tuesday's game knowing that a victory would mean at least four and up to six days off before they start their next series — and that a loss would mean less rest should they later advance to the Western Conference finals.

"I think rest is always good, when you think of it in the context of how grueling the playoff schedule can be," said Fisher, a playoff veteran.

Too long of a rest period, however, could come with consequences.

"The first game in the next series, your timing may be a little bit off — some small things like that," Fisher said. "But over the course of the next series your ability to maybe ... be fresh and ready to go is beneficial."

There is a flip side, too, to getting a long break.

"We might have practice a lot," forward Matt Harpring joked.

SCHEDULING: If both the Utah-Golden State series and the San Antonio-Phoenix series are concluded by Friday, the Western Conference finals will start Sunday. Otherwise, the conference series will open Tuesday in either San Antonio or Phoenix.

HE SAID IT: Fisher, when asked if former teammate Robert Horry, now with San Antonio, had ever body-checked him in practice during their days with the Los Angeles Lakers like Horry hit Phoenix point guard Steve Nash in a game earlier this week: "I think so ... (But) I'm a little heavier than Steve, so I may not have bounced as far."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com