Gugliotta to start again; Sloan sticks with Sasha

SACRAMENTO — The Jazz are listing power forward Michael Ruffin as "doubtful" for tonight's game at Sacramento due to a sore right ankle.

This much, however, is certain: Even if Ruffin can play, he will not start against the Kings.

Veteran Tom Gugliotta, acquired last week from Phoenix, will instead start a second straight game at the power forward position, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said prior to practice Thursday.

The switch, Sloan hopes, will prove beneficial to both 34-year-old Gugliotta, a free agent after this season, and the 29-30 Jazz, who have won two straight and three of their last four despite struggling at the start of recent games.

"We've had a tough time getting out of the blocks," Sloan said. "I'll let this kid (Gugliotta) play.

"If it helps him get a job (for next season), I don't have any problem with that," the Jazz coach added. "If it helps our team play better, that's what we're looking for. We'll just see. I want to try to play as many guys as I can, as much as I can, and try to help everybody."

With Ruffin out Wednesday in Seattle — he complained of soreness after Tuesday's win over the Sonics, trainer Gary Briggs said — Gugliotta started and played 31 minutes, pulling down eight rebounds and scoring four points on just 1-of-6 shooting from the field.

Ruffin, on the injured list until Jan. 4 with an abdominal-muscle strain, has started all 23 games in which he has played. He is averaging 6.8 rebounds, but only 2.8 points on 30.5 percent field shooting, in 24.1 minutes per game.

The change is the second Sloan has made to his starting front court this month; four games ago, he replaced veteran Greg Ostertag with Jarron Collins.

STICKING WITH SASHA: Rookie Sasha Pavlovic, Sloan said, will continue to start at shooting guard, the role he inherited when DeShawn Stevenson was traded last week to Orlando for Gordan Giricek.

"I want him to see if he can fight back," Sloan said of foul-plagued Pavlovic, who scored 16 vs. New York in his first game after Stevenson departed but since has struggled, scoring just four on 1-of-7 shooting Sunday at Indiana, two on 1-of-4 shooting Tuesday against Seattle and six on 3-of-9 shooting Wednesday vs. the Sonics.