Fisher gets mixed 'welcome'

The response by Jazz fans that May night was a whole lot of decibels louder than Friday's lukewarm greeting. And Fisher — who made national headlines with his return and devotion to his daughter — remembers it vividly. He says the roaring standing ovation was the most memorable moment of his NBA career, even more so than his big shot against the San Antonio Spurs and his three championships with the Lakers.

Friday's game, address changes and some Jazz fan bitterness all pale to what Fisher still considers most important: Tatum's improving health.

"She's doing great," Fisher said. "Where I'm playing and who I play for is almost irrelevant. The major part of this whole process is where she is now compared to where she was then. To me, that's the story."

Carlos Boozer, who didn't get a chance to face his old teammate because of an ankle injury, has fond memories of playing with Fisher. Leadership was the NBA veteran's biggest contribution during Utah's unexpected Western Conference Finals run.

"The fans that watched last season, they know how awesome he was for us," Boozer said. "I think everybody out there was obviously praying for his family and wishing his daughter well."

That doesn't mean Boozer — or his current teammates — will take it easy on their friendly foe. That much was obvious Friday.

"Once we strap it up, he's on the other team. He's a Laker; we're a Jazz. We're gonna try to take his head off, and he'll try to take our head off. We're competitors," Boozer said. "But off the court we go to dinner, we have a good time. I just texted him last week. We're still very, very close. He's still a brother of mine. But when we step on the court he's on the other sideline."

Just ask Jazz fans.

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Contributing: Tim Buckley

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E-mail: jody@desnews.com