Utah Jazz: Adelman has rare success in Salt Lake

Twenty head coaches have faced the Utah Jazz in NBA playoff games in Salt Lake City over the years. None have a winning record in Utah.

Only two — Dick Motta (1-1) and Phil Jackson (3-3) — haven't lost more games than they've won.

Houston's Rick Adelman, though, held some unique distinction prior to and after his team's 94-92 victory over the Jazz Thursday night. Adelman is the only opposing coach to sport a winning playoff mark against the Jazz at the Delta Center/EnergySolutions Arena since the arena opened in 1991-92.

Adelman's 6-4 postseason record at the facility (he's 7-8 when Salt Palace games are included) includes visits with Portland (1992) and Sacramento (1999, 2002, 2003).

Utah coach Jerry Sloan wasn't surprised to learn his former teammate with the Bulls was the lone visiting coach to break through — noting Adelman has coached some great teams.

Even so, Sloan believes his friend is one of the most underrated coaches in the profession.

"I've always said he was," said Sloan. "He's always taken teams where people say you can't coach them or can't do this or that."

Adelman, who won his 800th game in March, led the Rockets to 22-game winning streak during the regular season.

INJURY EXPLAINED: Reports that Jazz guard Deron Williams is suffering from a bruised buttocks are not entirely inaccurate. Williams cleared things up by explaining that doctors have diagnosed it as a sprained sacroiliac joint. The sacroiliac joint, which lies at the junction of the spine and the pelvis. isn't very mobile but is important in transferring a person's upper body load to the lower body.

Prior to Thursday's game, Williams said he was feeling "a lot better."

HIGH FIVE: USA Today has unveiled its "High Five" team for the Jazz. The newspaper is naming the five greatest players in the history of every NBA franchise.

Drum roll, please.

The USA Today panel of experts selected Karl Malone, John Stockton, Pete Maravich, Adrian Dantley and Darrell Griffith as the top players in Jazz history.

Team broadcaster "Hot" Rod Hundley chose Maravich, Dantley, Stockton, Malone and Leonard "Truck" Robinson.

An online poll of USA Today readers tabbed (in order of votes received) Stockton, Malone, Maravich, Dantley and Jeff Hornacek.

MEDIA BLITZ: According to Jazz communications director Jonathan Rinehart, more than 200 press credentials were issued for Game 3. The group included 10 members of the Chinese media, who are keeping up with injured Rockets star Yao Ming.

WRITTEN WARNING: Jazz superfan Dr. Richard Anderson received a "written warning card" in the second quarter after shouting an expletive about a call to referee Bob Delaney. Security briefly removed Anderson from the arena to issue the printed warning. After the infamous Pistons-Pacers incident in 2004, the cards were created as part of the NBA's effort to control the behavior of fans. The single warning tells violators that continued excessive verbal abuse would lead to ejection from the game without refund.

EQUAL DISTRIBUTION: Unlike last year's playoffs when only the lower bowl patrons received free T-shirts, the Jazz handed 20,000 of them out on Thursday. The white shirts, sponsored by Zions Bank, featured the team logo and the franchise's playoff theme: "One team, one dream."

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E-mail: dirk@desnews.com