PRICELINE: Fresh off strong showings Friday at Sacramento and Saturday vs. Chicago, and with a solid body of work offered when usual backup point guard Jason Hart was out recently due to a bulging disc in his lower back, reserve combo guard Ronnie Price was Sloan's first choice off the bench behind Williams on Wednesday.

The regular-rotation change was not totally unexpected, and some teammates seemed to sense it might come.

"He's one of those guys that's been waiting for this opportunity for a long time," power forward Carlos Boozer said of the Utah Valley State product, "and now he's getting an opportunity to play a little bit and he's showing what he's capable of doing.

"Now he's getting his confidence up. And this league's about confidence," Boozer added. "Once you've got your confidence, you can almost accomplish anything."

BREWER BACK: After sitting out two games due to a severely bruised tailbone sustained last week at Denver, starting shooting guard Ronnie Brewer returned to the lineup Wednesday.

Brewer also is scheduled to play in Friday's Rookie-Sophomore Challenge Game during NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans, though he has said he'll take the floor only if he feels fully healthy.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com