Utah Jazz: Team excited about chance to practice

Kinda interesting that a day before facing Allen Iverson's team, Utah Jazz players were excited to get together on Christmas night.

Not to sing carols, brew up some wassail or enjoy a holiday party together, mind you.

Back from a disappointing 2-3 road trip, the Jazz acted happy to finally get a chance to work up a sweat and work out kinks in a full practice.

(Insert your best Iverson imitation here.)

All 12 Jazz players participated in the evening session, which began at 6 p.m. to give the team the bulk of the day off to enjoy the holiday.

"We haven't had a lot of time to practice," Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer said. "We've got a lot of guys getting back, need to get back into some rhythm. We haven't had a lot of time to get up and get some work done."

Backup guard Ronnie Price, who's still recovering from his left, big toe injury, was especially pleased to work out.

"I hadn't had really a legit, full practice yet since my injury," he said, referring to the sprain that happened in early November and kept him out of 13 games. "So I'm excited about just getting back into the flow of things."

Now that their grueling East Coast swing is over, the Jazz have plenty of time to practice and rest. Utah hosts Philadelphia tonight but doesn't play again until Wednesday in Minnesota.

That one-game-in-six-days stretch comes at a good time, Deron Williams said, because the Jazz need to "get some guys healthy, guys healed up, rested and also get some good practice time."

"Hopefully," Boozer added, "(we'll) come back and regroup and get going again."

IN BUT OUT: Kyle Korver had an electroshock treatment Thursday on his surgically repaired left knee, which flared up in Charlotte and forced him to miss the last two games of the road trip.

"I feel OK right now," he said before Friday's practice, his first attempt at playing, running or jumping in a week.

"We're trying to be smart about it," he added. "I don't know. I really don't know how to gauge it, to be honest. We can't really figure out exactly what to do ... but it's been pretty frustrating."

He wants to face his former team, the 76ers, but Korver is officially listed as "out" and isn't sure how his knee will respond.