Ankle injury sidelines Arroyo

DALLAS — So much for Carlos Arroyo vs. Steve Nash.

The Jazz lost 127-102 to Dallas on Saturday night without their starting point guard, who surprisingly sat out due to a sprained left ankle. Arroyo said he originally hurt the ankle in the Jazz's public scrimmage Monday, then aggravated the injury two nights later.

"The last game at home (Wednesday night, in Utah's season-opening win over Portland) it hurt too," he said.

Arroyo, who led the Jazz with 13 assists and 18 points against the Trail Blazers, said he hopes to be back "as soon as possible."

Arroyo and Nash, Dallas' starting point, went head-to-head when Arroyo's Puerto Rico team beat Nash's Canada club this past summer for a berth in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

With Arroyo out, rookie Raul Lopez made his first NBA start and Jazz No. 3 point Mo Williams made his NBA debut. They combined for just eight points, while Nash finished with 12 for Dallas.

WAIT A WHILE: The Jazz do not intend to make any roster moves before they find out when big man Keon Clark will be back, basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor said.

Clark missed his second straight game Saturday due to a chipped-off bone spur in his right ankle. He received a cortisone injection Thursday, and is out day-to-day while seeing how the ankle responds. Surgery remains an option, but only if Clark's pain does not subside.

WAIT 'TILL SUMMER: The Jazz opted not to extend starting shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson's rookie contract before last Friday's deadline for doing so, meaning Utah's 2000 first-round draft choice can be a restricted free agent next offseason.

It is believed only three players from the 2000 draft class — New Orleans' Jamaal Magliore, Milwaukee's Desmond Mason and Memphis' Mike Miller — had their deals extended.

THAT'S WHY: Dallas' decision to focus first on recruiting Alonzo Mourning this past summer prompted ex-Jazz star Karl Malone to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, Malone's agent recently told the Dallas Morning News.

"It definitely could have been different," Dwight Manley said. "Karl told (Mavericks owner) Mark (Cuban) he would have come to Dallas if they had been interested. But Mark said it was a basketball decision, that his staff had said they wanted to go after Alonzo."

Dallas, of course, missed out on Mourning as well. He signed with New Jersey.