Sloan has respect for Motta

HOUSTON — Jerry Sloan never has been one to get hung up on milestones.

Perhaps he learned that trait from the man he tied Sunday on the NBA's all-time regular-season coaching victories list, retired Dick Motta.

"That's not what I'm about," Sloan said Sunday after notching win No. 935, a 99-92 Jazz victory at Houston. "That wasn't what Dick was about."

To Sloan, Motta — whose all-time record was 935-1,017— was about much more than wins, losses and one's place in history.

He was about coaching the game the way it was meant to be played.

"I've always admired him," the Jazz coach said. "He's always been a special guy for me."

Once he passes Motta with one more win, Red Auerbach is next on the list for Sloan to catch. The legendary Boston Celtics coach is No. 6 with 938 victories.

CATCHING UP WITH . . . Former Jazz forward Scott Padgett was scoreless in nine minutes Sunday, taking only one shot from the field.

Padgett, though, is shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range since leaving Utah for Houston — making him the Rockets' all-time leader in shooting percentage from behind the line.

POINTED PROBLEM: Think the Jazz have had issues at the point, what with Carlos Arroyo being traded and Raul Lopez being hurt and Keith McLeod shuffling in and out of the lineup and Howard Eisley filling in when needed?

Houston can top that.

Mike James, who started Sunday in his first game since being traded Thursday from Milwaukee, is the fifth different starting point guard the Rockets have used this season.

He joins a list that also includes Bob Sura, Charlie Ward, Tyronn Lue and Rod Strickland.

HE SAID IT: Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko, amazed at what a little execution can do for a struggling team: "We just helped each a lot. . . . Did you see how many open shots we got?"

HE SAID IT II: Jazz forward Matt Harpring, on Utah's 30-point fourth quarter: "We were just executing our offense. No new plays. Same plays in the first three quarters we did in the fourth quarter. The difference was we didn't hold the ball. We passed to the open man, and we just played."