Jazz now trust Sloan's offense

There was a time this season when the Jazz did not trust in coach Jerry Sloan's offense, and it was not long ago.

Christmas was coming, and they were taking their lumps. They had lost three straight and four of five after a five-game Eastern road trip that ended Dec. 23 in New York. They were five games under .500, and a third-straight season with no playoffs seemed not far off.

Three weeks have passed, though, and my how times have changed.

The Jazz have won three straight after a four-game Eastern trip, and eight of their last nine overall. They are now two games over .500, at 19-17. And they lead the NBA's Northwest Division, notable even though it's still fairly early in January.

The difference?

Now, Sloan said, "I think they believe in what we're doing."

Bounce from locker to locker after Utah's trip-ending win Wednesday at Philadelphia, and it sure seems so.

"I feel tremendous confidence when I'm on the court about the team," guard Gordan Giricek said.

"I think everybody's buying into it," guard Milt Palacio offered. "You can see it from the different games we've won."

"Defensively and offensively, as a team," season scoring-leader Mehmet Okur added, "it's feeling good."

Reasons are ample.

One is the Jazz, off until facing Miami on Saturday at the Delta Center, have been drawn together playing 11 of their last 14 games on the road.

"Our chemistry is unbelievable," forward Andrei Kirilenko said. "We're just laughing all the way, and we have a great time together. I think that is one of the points why we succeed — when your team is staying together, and helping each other."

Another is the Jazz have been relatively healthy of late, and able to keep the same opening lineup together each of the past seven games — the longest stretch all five starters have been the same since Utah opened the season 4-3.

The Jazz are now 15-5 when Kirilenko, who missed seven games with an ankle sprain and three with back spasms, starts; they are 4-12 when injuries either keep him out or on the bench at the beginning. Going 8-1 in their last nine also coincides with a starting-lineup return by point guard Keith McLeod, who missed 13 straight games with a lower-back avulsion fracture.

As a result, there has been less burden on rookie backup point Deron Williams and less reliance on youngsters like Kris Humphries and Andre Owens.

"We've had more guys play together longer," Sloan said of a group including Okur, Kirilenko, Giricek, Matt Harpring and frequently finishing point Milt Palacio. "You know, it's the first time we've had this group of guys together — guys that can play, and kind of have an understanding of what we're doing.