Boozer continues run that may have started too late

Ever since getting 30 points and 10 rebounds on the Ides of March in a Jazz loss at Orlando in his 15th game and first start of the season, Carlos Boozer has been the man the Utah Jazz thought they had spirited away from Cleveland almost two years ago.

In 14 games since then, he's had six more double-doubles and four games with doubles in scoring to go with nine rebounds — and the Jazz have won nine of those 10 games, including Wednesday 104-83 over short-handed division-champion Denver in the Delta Center.

Boozer collected game highs of 25 points and 13 rebounds without injured Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin around to bother him. It was his second straight 25-point game, and he's had 10 with at least 20 points since getting that first start.

"I wish it was the start of the season for me," Boozer said. "I feel like I missed a lot of time, and I'm trying to make up for lost time now."

He missed nearly a year with two injuries, a foot problem that sidelined him from Valentine's Day until last summer and the torn hamstring that sat him out of this season's first 49 games.

"I feel great," Boozer said. "I'm not going to rate myself. I know I'm playing well, especially considering my injury. You never know if you have a whole season what develops over the course of it, and I'm just trying to make the most of what I have right now."

He didn't want to speculate on what his presence might have meant to a team that is still barely alive in the chase for a playoff spot, but, "I don't think we'd be fighting for the eighth. I think we might be fighting for home court (advantage)," Boozer allowed.

"But that's my opinion. That's one of those things you never know. You can't look back and say shoulda, coulda, woulda."

For rookie point guard Deron Williams, Boozer's game would have made things a lot easier all year. "It would have been nice to have had this lineup the whole year and seen what we could have done if we'd gotten into a groove earlier in the season, but that's the way things happen

"We've still got this year to play, but you definitely look forward to next year, and you know guys are going to work hard in the off-season and get better — especially me personally. This team could be good next year."

Williams, who scored 14 points, said he gets open shots on the pick and roll with Boozer because teams have to worry so much about keeping him away from the basket.