Sloan nears 1,000 career wins

With New York Knicks coach Larry Brown reaching the milestone on Friday, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan is in line to become the next NBA coach with 1,000 regular-season career wins.

After Saturday night's 100-94 loss to Miami, Sloan — currently fifth on the league's victories list — still is 38 wins away.

He would join Brown, retired Lenny Wilkens, retired Don Nelson and Miami coach Pat Riley as the only coaches in league history to reach 1,000 — and would be the only one of the five who has not at one time or another coached the Knicks.

Riley recorded his 1,122nd victory Saturday — third behind Wilkens and Nelson.

For Sloan to reach the milestone this season, the Jazz would have to go at least 38-11 the rest of the way.

In other words, don't count on it.

GOOD GAME: USA Today is soliciting opinions from readers regarding the likely results of a hypothetical three-on-three game involving one Jazz player and another from Miami.

The issue: Who wins if the Jazz's Andrei Kirilenko, Philadelphia's Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Heat's Dwyane Wade, Cleveland's LeBron James and Denver's Carmelo Anthony.

The answer comes Tuesday in USA Today NBA writer David Dupree's weekly "One-on-one" column.

In Saturday's head-to-head meeting, Wade had the upper hand, finishing with 31 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, four steals and a block while Kirilenko came up with 25 points, eight boards, six assists, three blocks and a steal.

SAME TRIP: The Jazz and Heat both play again Monday in Los Angeles — against different opponents, that is.

Utah kicks off a double-dip at the Staples Center with a day game against the Clippers, while Miami follows in the evening with Shaquille O'Neal facing off against Bryant and the Lakers.

THAT'S WHO: With usual Miami starting point guard Jason Williams out Saturday due to tendinitis in his right knee, the Heat started Gerald Fitch at the point.

Fitch is an undrafted rookie from the University of Kentucky who spent last season bouncing around Europe. He finished with 10 points and four assists, but veteran Gary Payton closed at the point for Miami.

MISC.: Jazz big man Mehmet Okur has now has a double-double in 12 of his last 17 games, and a team-high 16 on the season. Okur took just nine shots from the field, while rookie point Deron Williams shot 3-of-11. That leaves Utah 1-14 when Williams takes as many or more shots than Okur . . . Healthy Jazz rookie guard Andre Owens was inactive for a sixth straight game . . . The NBA Development League's Roanoke Dazzle recently acquired center D'or Fischer, who played last July on the Jazz's Rocky Mountain Revue summer-league team.

---

E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com