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Banged-up Jazz return home to face Sixers

Dec 29, 2008 - 3:05 PM Philadelphia (12-17) at Utah (18-14), 9:00pm EST

SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) -- Monday might be an important day for the Utah Jazz. Their star forward, Carlos Boozer, will be seeing a specialist on his ailing left knee earlier in the day - an examination that may determine when or if the All-Star can return to the Utah lineup.

With his fate up in the air and frontcourt mates Mehmet Okur and Paul Millsap also sidelined, the Jazz will try to ignore the adversity as they return home to square off against the struggling Philadelphia 76ers.

Utah suffered a heartbreaking loss on Saturday, falling in double-overtime to the Houston Rockets. With the loss, the team slipped to 7-10 on the road. But Monday's showdown is back in the friendly confines of EnergySolutions Arena, where the Jazz have lost just eight regular-season games over the last two seasons.

Okur may miss his fourth straight game with back spasms, while Millsap - who has missed two games in a row - is likely out until next week. Boozer has missed 20 games in a row after initially straining his left quadriceps tendon.

The Sixers, meanwhile, have dropped three in a row as their season continues to go downhill despite high expectations this preseason. They have not won in Salt Lake City since January 5, 2005 - when the now-departed Allen Iverson and Kenny Thomas combined for 53 points in a 106-99 triumph.

Without star forward Elton Brand - who is out for the next few weeks with a dislocated right shoulder - the Sixers are leaning heavily on rising star Andre Iguodala, who is averaging 20.5 points and shooting 48 percent over the last four games following a sluggish start to the campaign.