Price is right for Jazz

NEW ORLEANS — Jazz coach Jerry Sloan called it "another fine game" in what has become a string of several for Ronnie Price.

"He didn't try to force too much, kind of let the game come to him," Sloan said of Price, who had six points, dished three assists and shot 2-of-4 from the field while logging 13 minutes in relief of starting point guard Deron Williams during Utah's 112-93 win at Seattle on Wednesday night.

"His confidence seems to be much better," Sloan added. "He shot the shots that were given to him, the ones he had to take ... and I thought he did a real good job."

Sloan used the Utah Valley State product ahead of usual backup point Jason Hart, who has struggled with his shooting this season.

The Jazz coach didn't say if the rotation change would remain when his club plays its first game following this weekend's NBA All-Star Game break, but he did seem to hint that may be the case.

"We need that," Sloan said of Price's play, which includes back-to-back 4-of-5 shooting games last Friday vs. his old Sacramento club and again in last Saturday's win over Chicago. "That gives Deron a chance to have a little bit of a breather, and cut back on some of his minutes as we go forward."

Williams seemed particularly enthusiastic about Price's play, greeting him first virtually every time he came off the floor.

"You know, everybody wants to see a guy succeed," Sloan said. "If you're his teammate, you want to see him do well when he goes out there. They play the same position, and that's what you'd like to see — guys pulling for each other. I think it makes your team better."

PHEW: Shooting guard Kyle Korver, for one, has to be happy the Jazz head into the break coming off a victory.

"You don't want to go out with a loss when you've got that many days off to think about it all," he said. "Especially when you've got a coaching staff to sit there and think about it all, and you come back to practice. You never want that."

HE SAID IT: Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo, after Wednesday's loss to the Jazz: "We never matched their physicality or aggressiveness, and that's been a trademark of their team for a long time."