Utah Jazz: Boozer undaunted by road drop-off

The Utah Jazz have won eight of their 14 road games since the new year started, once that dreadful December when they lost nine of 10 away from home was out of the way.

So maybe this doesn't really matter.

But leading scorer and rebounder Carlos Boozer's averages on the road have fallen off by 4.8 points and a full rebound since the start of the year from what he has totaled for the entire season to date.

With the Jazz starting a four-game road trip at Chicago on Tuesday, then moving on to Milwaukee Wednesday, Boston Friday and New Jersey Saturday, it will be at least interesting to see if the Northwest Division-leading Jazz can continue to win while spending the nights in hotel beds, especially if Boozer cannot pick up where he used to be.

He is positive that he will.

"I don't worry about it. I know I'm going to play great down the stretch. We're going to get some road wins and go into the playoffs on a good note," he said.

For the whole 2007-08 season of home games, Boozer is averaging 21.7 points and 10.7 rebounds. For the whole season on the road, he is averaging 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds.

For the 14 road games since January started, his numbers show 16.6 points and 9.6 rebounds.

Even in December, when the Jazz couldn't do much right, Boozer averaged 23.1 and 11.5. Through October and November games, he was averaging 25.4 and 11.2.

December can perhaps be explained partially because center Mehmet Okur missed six road games, so Boozer likely had to score and rebound more.

And Boozer's drop in numbers recently may be partially explained by Okur's recent surge of big scoring and double-doubles, though that has mainly been biggest the last seven games. Okur has had four 20-points-plus and eight double-figure rebounding road games since the new year began. He's had five double-doubles in his last six games, three on the road, and six in his last eight, and had 24 points in one of the two in which he didn't reach double-figure rebounds.

But Boozer's home numbers (20.6/10.0 since Jan. 1) haven't trailed off nearly as much, and Okur has had more big home games than big road games.

"That probably has something to do with it," coach Jerry Sloan said of Okur's stronger numbers lately affecting Boozer's.