Utah Jazz: Harpring to miss next 4 games

PORTLAND, Ore. — Usual backup small forward Matt Harpring will miss at least the Jazz's next four preseason games.

Harpring didn't travel with the team to Portland on Saturday for today's game against the Trail Blazers, and — according to a team spokesman — will not accompany the club on a three-game trip later in the week that includes one outing at Denver and two against Chicago.

That leaves just one exhibition before the regular season in which Harpring could possibly play — Oct. 23 at home vs. Portland.

The veteran forward, however, has no timetable for his return as he continues to rehab his surgically repaired and subsequently infected right ankle,

All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer, meanwhile, will play today, the team said.

Boozer missed the Jazz's first two preseason games with soreness in his strained left hamstring, but he practiced Friday and took part in Saturday's morning shootaround.

"It feels great," Boozer said prior to the shootaround.

Probable for today is rookie big man Kosta Koufos, who strained his left hamstring in the Jazz's preseason-opening win over the Los Angeles Lakers last Tuesday and dressed but didn't play in Thursday's home loss to Phoenix.

Two other Jazz reserves, combo guard Ronnie Price and backup center Jarron Collins, are listed as "doubtful" for today. Price bruised his lower right leg in the game against the Suns, and Collins has tendinitis/bursitis in his right elbow.

"Obviously we'll be a little more conservative now than we would be during the season," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said of the unusually high number of injury absences for such an early point on the calendar.

LONG WAIT: The Jazz finally get their first look tonight at 2007 No. 1 overall draft choice Greg Oden, who missed all of last season after sustaining a right knee injury that required microfracture surgery.

"I'm sure he was frustrated," Boozer said of the 7-foot center from Ohio State. "I'm sure that was tough on him, but ... I know (Blazers coach) Nate (McMillan) will do a good job of keeping his mental state in a good place."

"I'm interested in seeing him play," Sloan added. "I thought he was a wonderful player his first year in college, and obviously getting hurt — you hate to see that happen to anybody, any team. You know, great players are good for our league, even though you have to play against them. That's part of the challenge. If you like to play, you like to play against the best."

Sloan suspects teams will put Oden in situations that are substantially different from those he faced in school.

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