Jazz F Boozer out 4-5 weeks with hairline leg fracture

Jan 31, 2007 - 7:18 PM SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) -- Carlos Boozer's career season has been put on hold.

The Utah Jazz announced Wednesday that Boozer has a broken bone in his left leg and will be sidelined four to five weeks.

Utah's leading scorer and rebounder, Boozer underwent an MRI and a series of X-rays, which revealed a hairline fracture of his left fibula. The 6-9 forward suffered the injury in the first quarter of Saturday's 94-83 loss to the New Orleans Hornets.

Boozer, 25, is averaging career highs of 22.1 points and 11.8 rebounds while shooting 57 percent from the floor in 45 games this season, his third with the Jazz.

A five-year veteran, Boozer has been plagued by injuries since signing a six-year, $68 million contract with the Jazz in July 2004. He missed the final 31 games of the 2004-05 campaign with a foot injury and was sidelined for the first 49 contests of last season with a strained hamstring.

But thanks to Boozer's resurgence this season, Utah is 29-17 and sit atop the Northwest Division, owning a comfortable five-game cushion over the second-place Denver Nuggets (22-20).

In 285 career games with the Jazz and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boozer averages 15.5 points and 9.6 rebounds.

Jason Collins filled Boozer's spot in the starting lineup Monday and scored five points in 16 minutes of a 116-115 loss to the New Jersey Nets. Rookie forward Paul Millsap also saw a dramatic increase in playing time, collecting 16 points and 12 rebounds in nearly 32 minutes.