Harpring gets back in shape

After being so sick with a stomach virus over Christmas that he was hospitalized, Utah Jazz veteran Matt Harpring rang in the new year working on the treadmill, stairmaster and doing other aerobic exercises last weekend. During Tuesday's team practice, he ran as hard as he could, trying to get back into playing shape.

"But it's just, nothing's the same as banging and running and doing basketball things, getting out there and doing it," Harpring said.

"The biggest thing is I just want to get back in shape. I hate being so winded out there," he said, demonstrating how he was gasping for air during Wednesday's game at EnergySolutions Arena against the team that allowed him to sign as a free agent with the Jazz in August 2002, the Philadelphia 76ers.

Harpring may have been swigging wind in the 19 minutes he played, but he defended well and poured in 20 points on 10-for-14 shooting, his third-best total of the season in far fewer minutes than the 22 he scored Nov. 14 at home against the Los Angeles Clippers (29 minutes played) and the 21 he had in 36 minutes at Seattle three days later.

Harpring's 6-for-8, 12-point third quarter that included a steal and a blocked shot helped Utah to 35 points in the period to 23 for the Sixers, who had led 45-41 at the half.

That big third quarter helped the Jazz to a 98-87 home win.

Harpring played only a little more than two minutes in the fourth quarter but was content to be on the bench due to fatigue, even though the game was coming easily to him.

"My teammates found me," he said. "I was just cutting and moving and trying to create something. Got a lot of easy baskets. It was great."

Some games are just like that.

"I think I just kind of play the same game every night," Harpring said. "Some nights I get the ball, and some nights I don't. It's just the way it is on every team. When you come in off the bench, you've just got to try to provide a spark."

His spark was necessary Wednesday because coach Jerry Sloan said Andrei Kirilenko "was struggling with his game. I took him out of the ballgame, and Matt was able to step up and guard the player (Kirilenko) was guarding. Consequently he got open, we found him and he got some baskets for us."

Sloan, however, saw that Harpring was weary and took him out. "I was ready to put him back in the game, but Gira (Gordan Giricek) made a shot, and I stuck with him."