Ostertag sits out Monday

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Jazz's many missing against Golden State on Monday night included usual starting center Greg Ostertag, who earlier Monday was suspended by NBA disciplinary Stu Jackson for fighting Saturday night with Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

The punishment hardly came as a surprise to Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan, who himself sat out seven games last season for an incident in which he shoved referee Courtney Kirkland.

"I figured that would happen," Sloan said Monday night. "If they were gonna suspend me for seven games for touching an official, I figured they'd suspend him (Ostertag) for one for running back up to a guy.

"It didn't look like it on film, to me, that he (Ostertag) actually hit the guy," Sloan added. "But . . . you've got to accept (the decision)."

The suspension will cost Ostertag $96,296 in game pay from his $8.67 million 2003-04 season salary - or, roughly, the cost of two new Hummers.

Ilgauskas, who also was suspended one game and will sit out tonight's meeting with Seattle, shoved Ostertag after being fouled hard along the Cavs' baseline. Ostertag flailed back, and Ilgauskas - who loses $150,000 from his $13.5 million salary - threw a punch that failed to connect before the two were separated.

"I don't regret it," the Associated Press quoted Ilgauskas as saying to Cleveland reporters on Monday.

"You have to protect yourself," Ilgauskas added. "I regret getting thrown out of the game, probably. Sometimes your emotions get the best of you and you can't control it."

Cavs coach Paul Silas, though, didn't seem to mind.

"I never want to see anybody get into a fight, but for a guy just to get angry out there and say, 'I'm not going to take it', I think that is very, very significant," Silas told AP. "Guys have to take up for themselves. That was a hard, hard foul on the pump fake.

"Normally, everything is broken up before punches get thrown," Silas added. "That didn't happen this time."

Ostertag declined comment after Saturday's game, which Cleveland won in overtime after rallying from 16 down.

He also was unavailable Monday, and spent Monday night at the Jazz's nearby team hotel because he was barred from entering The Arena in Oakland while the game was being played.

With Andrei Kirilenko, Michael Ruffin, Matt Harpring, Keon Clark, Curtis Borchardt and Ben Handlogten all out with injuries for the Jazz, reserve big man Jarron Collins started in Ostertag's place at center.