Utah Jazz notes: Boozer happy to help, not hurt, his team after resting bum ankle

INDIANAPOLIS – He's glad he didn't play Sunday at Toronto — and happy was able to go Tuesday at Indiana.

"I'd be hurting my team more than I'd be helping my team if I played on it," Boozer said of the right ankle that he sprained in the Jazz's victory over Denver last Friday — and that kept him from playing in their road win over the Raptors.

Because he didn't go then, he added Tuesday, "It ended up helping me, because now it feels a lot better."

Boozer said that after running a bit in Monday's practice and taking part in Tuesday's morning shootaround the ankle pain was "not completely gone — but enough that I can handle it."

"We've all had twisted ankles our whole careers at some point, a few different times," he said. "You know, twisted ankles, unless they're real, real severe like (teammate Deron Williams') was (earlier this season), you can play on some of the pain. It loosens up as you go."

With Boozer back, replacement-starter Paul Millsap returned to the bench Tuesday.

After beating the Pacers, Sloan offered a candid assessment of Boozer's play — and credited Millsap, who finished 22 reserve-role points, for an "excellent" showing.

"Boozer's struggling a little bit in his game," Sloan said. "He's got to get more comfortable."

Boozer — who has played seven games since returning from arthroscopic knee surgery — readily acknowledged as much after a 28-minute, 11-point, seven-rebound, three-turnover night in which he shot 4-of-13 from the field.

"I'm still getting used to playing on my knee," he said, adding he's still not able to jump and play up around the rim quite like he's accustomed. "Now I've got to deal with the ankle.

But hopefully very soon I'll be 100 percent."

Boozer plans to play tonight at Atlanta.

MARCHING ORDERS: Sloan has two grown children living about four blocks away from each other in Indianapolis and six preteen grandchildren here.

He visited the grandkids Monday night. Some play basketball, and he visited with their teammates before Tuesday's game.

"A couple of them had Pacers uniforms on," Sloan said. "I told them, 'Make sure you yell for the Pacers. My grandkids are supposed to yell for us.' "