Araujo eager for second start

When the Utah Jazz traded Kris Humphries and Robert Whaley to Toronto for Rafael Araujo in early June, "That was a dream come true for me. I always want to be here," said the big guy from Brazil and BYU.

The less-structured Toronto system didn't fit Araujo's game very well, and he felt like he was working hard and not getting much chance to show what he could do.

With the Jazz, said Araujo, coach Jerry Sloan makes sure that when a big guy's number is called, the ball goes to him in the places where he can do what he does best. "I think it is how I like to play," Araujo said.

Araujo was so glad to return to Utah, in fact, that he passed up a chance to be on his Brazilian national team for the World Championships next month.

That team began practicing yesterday, but Araujo was concentrating on his chance with the Jazz and on learning in the Rocky Mountain Revue.

"I decided to stay around here — work out more on my game and try to improve my condition to make sure than when training camp comes I (am) 100 percent for the coach," he said Thursday night after showing in the Jazz's fifth of six scheduled Revue games that he has been paying attention and learning.

Araujo had his best Revue game Thursday, scoring 13 points with two assists including a crowd-pleasing alley-oop to rookie Ronnie Brewer as the Jazz moved to 3-2 with a 77-56 victory over Atlanta.

The Review wraps up tonight with the Jazz playing San Antonio at 7 p.m.

It was a rematch of the Jazz's opening game, when Araujo picked up two flagrant fouls against the Hawks' Marvin Williams, who is the leading scorer in this tournament averaging 25.0 points a game.

But Williams, who was restrained by teammates last Friday after Araujo threw him by his jersey to the floor, was out with a hip pointer, and his running mate, Salim Stoudamire, who has been as high as second in scoring, was out with an elbow sprain.

And Utah did not have second-year man Deron Williams, who was sent home after two games because the Jazz were satisfied with his offseason progress.

Araujo said the incident was behind him, and he did not think about not being able to play Marvin Williams again.

He did concentrate on not reaching, not fouling. He had four fouls in 20 minutes.