Utah Jazz notebook: Amid winning streak Sloan deals with loss

After losing his boss for the past two-plus decades and two ex-teammates in less than a week, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has been understandably melancholy.

And his players marvel at how Sloan has handled the deaths of not only Jazz owner Larry H. Miller, but also Norm Van Lier, his former Chicago Bulls backcourt mate, and Johnny "Red" Kerr, who after being his teammate with the Baltimore Bullets also was his first coach in Chicago.

"He's always done a great job of compartmentalizing those feelings and emotions, and to really focus in on the task at hand," veteran big man Jarron Collins said. "And our job is to play basketball, and win games. I know that that's his focus right now."

"If he's hurting, he's holding it in pretty well. Because he's had a tough (week) himself, with all that he's been through," shooting guard Ronnie Brewer added after the Jazz beat Sacramento on Saturday night, just hours after Miller was laid to rest. "But, I mean, he knows when it comes to the Jazz it's business, and he's got to lead us and guide us to do the right thing. And I think he's doing a phenomenal job with that."

Still, Sloan has obviously been impacted by the string of deaths.

"It puts things in perspective," said Collins, whose only coach in eight NBA seasons has been Sloan.

"We're all very human. We play this game, and kind of live larger-than-life lives in the public eye," he added. "But the relationships, bonds, that we form do last for a lifetime. It's sad when those people are no longer with us. You don't want to think of those things, but they do happen. It's unfortunate, but you have to cope with it and move forward."

STILL SEARCHING: Power forward Carlos Boozer played just 18 minutes against Sacramento, a few fewer than in his first two games back from a three-plus-months absence due to a quadriceps strain and arthroscopic knee surgery.

"Boozer's still trying to find himself ... (but) I've still got to win the game," Sloan said after Saturday's game. "That's the bottom line.

"He's a good ways away, in my opinion. But he's worked hard. He's worked hard," Sloan added Boozer had six points on 3-for-5 field shooting.

"He's better than what he was (Wednesday night at Minnesota), and if it hadn't been for just trying to win the ballgame I would have played him down the stretch maybe a little bit more."

HARPRING BACK: Veteran forward Matt Harpring returned to the Jazz lineup after missing Wednesday's game because of a bruised lower back.