Different routes, same destination

HOUSTON — It was a case study in preparation.

In one corner Saturday morning sat the Jazz's itchy youngsters, from parts near and far, much more interested in talking boxing than basketball. They discussed the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. WBC title fight, debated the relative worth of pugilist paydays, even argued about Bernard Hopkins' age.

Anything to keep their minds off the pending task at hand, Saturday night's late-starting NBA first-round playoff series Game 7 against the Houston Rockets.

(Sorry, Dee Brown, Hopkins is 42, not 39).

And near the other corner at the Toyota Center sat the former champ, the owner of three title rings from his days with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz's veteran shooting guard, hailing from Arkansas but spending most of the past year in Utah, Derek Fisher.

He readily fielded one basketball question after another, including one that prompted him to admit that being around rookies and young NBA players like Brown, Ronnie Brewer, Paul Millsap and second-season point guard Deron Williams has been "a learning experience."

"They're always loose — and, at times, I've had to refrain from trying to tighten them up a little bit or telling them to be quiet in the locker room," the 32-year-old, 11-season NBA veteran said, adding he had no doubt they'd all be ready for even such a high-pressure affair as a Game 7.

"These guys are always ready," Fisher added, "because they're loose, they're young, they're enthusiastic about the game — and it's kept me young at times."

Floating somewhere between those two scenes was Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, an old-school sort who may finally be coming around to accepting that prepping for a game even as large as Saturday's doesn't necessarily have to mean obsessing over Xs and Os.

"If they have their headphones and want to listen to music — I don't have a problem with that," Sloan said, "because a lot of guys, it helps them get ready.

"Everybody has their own way," he added. "I see some guys who ... you think they're asleep. But they're nervous."

Boxing banter. Hot hip-hop. Some cool country.

Whatever it takes, Sloan sighed.

Besides, the Jazz coach added when asked about the added pressure of getting ready for a Game 7, "If you prepare for the season and get ready to play every game, it shouldn't be a great deal of difference."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com