Radojevic gets his first NBA start

NEW YORK — In his quest to stop the bleeding, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan turned to one big bandage Sunday.

Sloan opened a 94-93 loss at New York with Aleksandar Radojevic at center over Mehmet Okur, giving the 7-foot-3 center the first start of his brief NBA career.

The move was made in part, Sloan said, because the Jazz's bench "has been pretty weak."

By sitting Okur, who did finish, at the start, "I could have somebody to put in the ballgame off the bench," Sloan added.

The switch also follows the season's best game for Radojevic, the Jazz's usual No. 3 center who had six rebounds in 17 minutes at Boston on Friday.

"I thought I'd give him a chance to play some," said Sloan, whose Jazz have lost 10 of their last 12.

The result: five points and four boards in 26 minutes for Radojevic, plus a 13-point, 14-rebound double-double in 32 bench minutes for the spurred Okur.

A surprised Radojevic admittedly was "a little bit nervous" early on.

"I knew that if I showed something to the coach, that I would play probably a little bit more — not that I'm going to start," he said. "I mean, I'm very thankful for him to give me an opportunity. It's a nice feeling.

"After a few minutes," Radojevic added, "I just didn't think about it — because there were too many things I needed to think about."

LOPEZ OVER ARROYO: For a third straight game, Sloan also started Raul Lopez over Carlos Arroyo at point guard.

That decision no longer seems to be punishment for Arroyo, who made amends following a flap with Sloan last Tuesday. But Sloan clearly wants more from Arroyo, who shot just 3-of-10 from the field Sunday.

"He's struggled some," the Jazz coach said. "He's a better player than what he's shown."

Arroyo still wants to start, but so far has taken the switch in stride.

"The lineup's been changing a lot, but everybody has to step up and play," he said Sunday. "As long as I'm playing, I'll be all right. The coach makes decisions, and I have to follow them."

BE QUIET: Veteran ref Jess Kersey gave Jazz shooting guard Raja Bell an especially hard time Sunday.

After Bell complained at one point, Kersey actually mocked Bell, shouting "Hey, Jerry, it's a conspiracy, Jerry," toward Sloan and the Jazz bench.