Boo-birds don't rattle Boozer

CLEVELAND — Could have been much worse.

That's what Jazz forward Carlos Boozer had to be thinking after making his first visit to Cleveland since leaving here under a cloud of contractual controversy in 2004.

"It wasn't even that bad," Boozer said after posting a 19-point, 14-rebound performance — his 40th double-double of the season — in Utah's 82-73 loss to his former Cavaliers club. "They (disgruntled Cavs fans) had a lot of creative signs. I saw a couple of them. The chants were OK. They could have been more creative on the chants, but it was good."

Some signs were quite predictable, like the one calling him a "$ellout." Some were rather personal, questioning his character. And that chief chant was somewhat simplistic, essentially comparing Boozer to a vacuum cleaner.

"They're great fans, and they were doing what they could," Boozer said. "It was a great atmosphere. Hopefully we learn from it. That's something we may face in the playoffs."

Teammates and Jazz coach Jerry Sloan thought Boozer — who missed two key free throws in the late going — handled well what had to be a trying evening.

"I really don't think he was (rattled)," point guard Deron Williams said. "He just missed shots, (but) he was still 9-for-20 (from the field). We'll take those percentages."

"He went ahead and just tried to play. That's who he is; that's the way he's always played," Sloan added. "I don't think he was affected, in my estimation. In fact, it looks like he kind of liked it. ... At least they didn't boo me tonight."

Though after a while, Sloan suggested, the taunting — imagine Kobe Bryant getting heckled every time he touches the ball at EnergySolutions Arena — did grow a bit tiresome.

"There's a lot more to basketball than just, I would think, booing one guy for 48 minutes," the Jazz coach said.

Boozer even got a bit of backing Saturday from veteran referee Steve Javie.

"He said he faces that kind of thing every day," Boozer said. "That just made me feel a little bit more comfortable."

HARPRING, GIRICEK OUT: Trying to play four games in five nights proved too much for Jazz backup small forward Matt Harpring, who sat out Saturday with inflammation in his right knee.