Harpring to undergo more tests

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Jazz forward Matt Harpring will wait until sometime early in January before undergoing a colonoscopy and biopsy as doctors continue to try to determine the root cause of his problematic gastrointestinal issues.

Harpring said Friday that he will try to find a time when medical schedules can be coordinated with a two-day break in the Jazz schedule, possibly sometime from Jan 4-9.

Such a window for the Jazz occurs Jan. 6-7, and an earlier one exists Jan. 3-4 — both bookends to a Jan. 5 road game at Portland.

The next time after that in which the Jazz have consecutive days without a game is Jan. 15-16.

Harpring said one day is needed to prep for the exam, and another is needed for the actual procedure.

Earlier this month the veteran forward became violently ill and passed out on a flight from Portland to Salt Lake City — the sixth similar episode he's had in a 15-month time period.

Harpring subsequently underwent a battery of tests, the last of which prompted the need for both the colonoscopy and the precautionary biopsy.

He missed three games as a result, but has played in three games since — averaging 17.0 minutes and 8.0 points, both slightly above his season averages for time played and scoring, in that short span.

Harpring said Friday that he felt fine, and the backup small forward fully intends to play when the Jazz visit the Los Angeles Lakers tonight.

The Jazz arrived in Los Angeles for their first post-Christmas road game fresh from Wednesday's home victory over Dallas — their second win in their last three outings.

"I don't know," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said when asked Friday morning at the Lakers' practice facility here if beating the Mavericks signals that all is back on track for a 16-14 team that previously had been struggling.

"I thought everybody pretty much was on the same page, the way they played (Wednesday)," he added. "I thought they played hard together. ... If we play like that all the time, I think we can solve a lot of problems we've had."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com