Carlos Boozer has returned to the Jazz after a three-month absence, and he's trying his hardest to simply catch up to his teammates.

"For me, I've got to catch up to them," Boozer said. "It's not them coming down to my speed. I've got to catch up to their speed. I'm going to work harder, get the rust off, get in better shape and soon it will all just be fluid like it was the first of the year."

Utah is 2-0 with Boozer back in the lineup, and he has shown flashes of his former self at times.

"We want to look for him, we want to get him back 100 percent as soon as possible. It's just kind of a feel. We've got to feel our way into it," guard Deron Williams said.

Hawks forward Josh Smith will not be suspended by the NBA for the flagrant-2 foul called against him in Monday's loss to the Jazz.

However, he will miss the game after returning to Atlanta for a personal matter.

Smith was ejected with 8:40 to play after knocking Matt Harpring to the floor on a fast break.

Hawks forward Josh Smith may face a suspension stemming from a foul on Jazz forward Matt Harpring in Monday night's game.

Smith knocked Harpring to the floor on a fast break, and Harpring's head hit the floor in the process. The players had to be restrained following the foul.

"I don't think Josh had any harm in it," Hawks center Al Horford said. "I think that the way that [Harpring] landed is what really caused [it]. He landed fine and then hit his head. I don't think Josh is a dirty player, it was just unfortunate that it happened."

Smith didn't comment, but Harpring said the reaction was instinctual.

"That was one of those that hurt," he said. "Every time I get knocked down like that a voice goes off in my head, 'Get up.' It just goes back to what my dad said in football ? never act like you are hurt."

Atlanta will await the NBA's decision heading into their game on Wednesday night.

Jazz forward Carlos Boozer could return to the court on Monday night against the Hawks after missing three months with a knee injury.

"This is the best it's felt since I've been hurt," said Boozer.

Boozer suggested prior to practice Sunday that if he made it through a workout and a scrimmage without a setback, he'd make his return against Atlanta.

The Jazz paid tribute to their late owner, Larry H. Miller, on Saturday night with a 102-88 win over the Hornets.

Miller died on Friday of complications from diabetes. He was just 64, and had owned the franchise for 24 years.

The night started with a video tribute, moment of silence and spotlight shining on Miller's empty seat -- Section 17, Row A, Seat 22.

"We're going to be reminded every day," said Matt Harpring, "and maybe we should be."  

The night ended with Deron Williams delivering the game ball to Miller's wife.

"For us, I thought the best thing we could do was to leave it all on the floor tonight, and I thought we did that," Kyle Korver said.

Larry H. Miller, husband, father, grandfather, a well-known entrepreneur, community advocate and humanitarian, died from complications due to type 2 diabetes today, at home, surrounded by his family.  He was 64.

Miller, a man who truly loved Utah, its people and its land, was born in Salt Lake City in 1944. From modest beginnings, he grew up in the Capitol Hill area and went on to become one of Utah?s most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders.  

?This is a sad day for me, our team, the fans of the Utah Jazz, and the NBA. Mr. Miller was a terrific man and friend," said Deron Williams.  "He changed the lives of thousands of people. We have all been blessed by his generosity and love for this community, and I am blessed to call him my friend. He gave us a lot of joy, and we will miss him.?

The NBA had just two games on the schedule on Thursday night as the majority of the league focused on the annual trade deadline.

- San Antonio 83, Detroit 79

Team FIC Differential: Spurs -0.6, Pistons +0.6

The Spurs (36-17) won a thrilling game against the Pistons (27-26) at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Thursday night. Tony Parker had 19 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds, Tim Duncan posted 18 points and 18 boards, and Matt Bonner added 15 points and 7 rebounds. Both teams shot 40% from the field, but San Antonio went 7-for-14 from three-point range. Allen Iverson starred 31 points and 7 assists, Antonio McDyess tallied 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Jason Maxiell contributed 10 points and 9 boards off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Antonio McDyess, Detroit ? 19.0

Allen Iverson, Detroit ? 16.8

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 16.5

Tony Parker, San Antonio ? 14.1

- Utah 90, Boston 85

Team FIC Differential: Jazz +10, Celtics -10

The Jazz (32-23) used a 30-19 edge in the fourth quarter to comeback and beat the Celtics (44-12). Deron Williams had 18 points and 10 assists, Mehmet Okur tallied 19 points and 6 rebounds, and Paul Millsap chipped in 8 points and 10 boards. Boston outrebounded Utah by eight, but turned the ball over nineteen times. Paul Pierce led with 20 points and 9 rebounds, Rajon Rondo posted 15 points and 7 assists, and Kendrick Perkins added 12 points and 11 boards for the Celtics, who lost Kevin Garnett to a knee injury in the second quarter.

Game FIC Scores

Kendrick Perkins, Boston ? 16.1

Ronnie Brewer, Utah ? 13.1

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 12.8

Deron Williams, Utah ? 12.3

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.?
Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

The Raptors stunned the Spurs on Wednesday night with a 91-89 win at Air Canada Centre. Roko Ukic made a jumper with less than thirty seconds left to give Toronto the victory.

- Cleveland 109, Phoenix 92

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +17.5, Suns -17.5

The Cavaliers (40-11) used a huge second quarter run to knock off the Suns (28-23) on Wednesday night. Maurice Williams starred with 44 points and 7 assists, LeBron James posted 26 points, 6 rebounds and 6 dimes, and Anderson Varejao added 13 points and 5 rebounds off the bench. Phoenix outrebounded Cleveland by three, but the Suns turned the ball over twenty-five times. Amare Stoudemire had 27 points and 6 rebounds, Grant Hill tallied 14 points and 5 boards, and Leandro Barbosa, who started in place of Steve Nash, contributed 9 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Maurice Williams, Cleveland ? 31.9

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 20.0

Grant Hill, Phoenix ? 11.6

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix ? 11.5

- Denver 82, Orlando 73

Team FIC Differential: Nuggets +18.6, Magic -18.6

The Nuggets (36-17) built a double-digit lead after the first half and never looked back against the Magic (38-13). Carmelo Anthony led with 29 points and 8 rebounds, Chauncey Billups tallied 11 points and 4 assists, and Kenyon Martin turned in 13 points and 4 boards. Denver shot just 40%, but held Orlando to 30% at Amway Arena. Dwight Howard had 16 points and 15 rebounds, Hedo Turkoglu posted 11 points, 6 boards and 5 assists, and Courtney Lee scored 10 points off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Carmelo Anthony, Denver - 15.8

Dwight Howard, Orlando - 13.8

Chauncey Billups, Denver - 7.4

Marcin Gortat, Orlando - 5.0

- Philadelphia 91, Memphis 87

Team FIC Differential: 76ers +15.3, Grizzles -15.3

The 76ers (27-24) held off the Grizzles (15-37) to keep their recent hot streak alive on Wednesday night. Andre Miller had 24 points and 9 assists, Andre Iguodala scored 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting, and Samuel Dalembert turned in 8 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Philadelphia hit 51% of their shots, but were outrebounded by seventeen. Hakim Warrick excelled with 31 points and 8 rebounds, Marc Gasol posted 11 points and 9 boards, and Mike Conley chipped in 13 points and 7 rebounds in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Andre Miller, Philadelphia ? 24.5

Hakim Warrick, Memphis ? 19.4

Marc Gasol, Memphis ? 11.5

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 10.6

- Toronto 91, San Antonio 89

Team FIC Differential: Raptors -8.2, Spurs +8.2

The Raptors (21-34) kept the Spurs (35-16) from scoring on their final possession to preserve a huge home victory. Andrea Bargnani had 23 points and 8 rebounds, Jason Kapono scored 21 points on 9-for-16 shooting, and Roko Ukic added 22 points off the bench. Toronto hit 44% of their shot attempts, while limiting San Antonio to just 41%. Manu Ginobili starred with 32 points and 7 rebounds, Tony Parker posted 22 points, and Tim Duncan contributed 20 points, 13 boards and 7 assists in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Manu Ginobili, San Antonio ? 23.1

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 20.8

Roko Ukic, Toronto ? 14.5

Jason Kapono, Toronto ? 12.3

- Charlotte 101, Washington 89

Team FIC Differential: Bobcats +31.7, Wizards -31.7

The Bobcats (21-31) raced out to an early lead and held the Wizards (11-42) at bay at Time Warner Cable Arena. D.J. Augustin had 24 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, Emeka Okafor posted 16 points and 13 boards, and Raymond Felton chipped in 15 points, 9 dimes and 8 rebounds. Charlotte converted 50% of their shots and outrebounded Washington by four. Caron Butler had 26 points and 6 assists, Antawn Jamison tallied 23 points and 9 rebounds, and JaVale McGee added 8 points and 7 boards for the Wizards.

Game FIC Scores

Emeka Okafor, Charlotte ? 21.5

D.J. Augustin, Charlotte ? 20.0

Caron Butler, Washington ? 16.1

Antawn Jamison, Washington ? 13.8

- Atlanta 99, Detroit 95

Team FIC Differential: Hawks +8.2, Pistons -8.2

The Hawks (31-21) made their free throws down the stretch preserve a win over the Pistons (27-24) on Wednesday night. Joe Johnson had 27 points, Al Horford tallied 15 points and 7 rebounds, and Ronald Murray scored 23 points off the bench. Atlanta shot 51% and turned the ball over just seven times. Allen Iverson led with 28 points on 11-for-20 shooting, Tayshaun Prince posted 12 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds, and Antonio McDyess turned in 10 points and 10 boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Joe Johnson, Atlanta ? 17.0

Allen Iverson, Detroit ? 15.8

Josh Smith, Atlanta ? 14.0

Tayshaun Prince, Detroit ? 13.8

- Boston 89, New Orleans 77

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +19.9, Hornets -19.9

The Celtics (43-11) lost Ray Allen to a thumb injury, but still downed the Hornets (30-20) in Chris Paul?s return. Paul Pierce led with 30 points, Kevin Garnett tallied 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo turned in 6 points, 8 boards and 11 assists. Boston forced New Orleans to turn the ball over eighteen times and limited the Hornets to 40% shooting at home. David West had 15 points and 8 rebounds, Hilton Armstrong posted 14 points and 5 boards, and Paul added 13 points and 5 assists in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Paul Pierce, Boston ? 16.0

Kevin Garnett, Boston ? 12.0

Hilton Armstrong, New Orleans ? 9.5

David West, New Orleans ? 7.3

- Milwaukee 122, Indiana 110

Team FIC Differential: Bucks +27.3, Pacers -27.3

Even without their top-three starters, the Bucks (26-29) defeated the Pacers (21-33) thanks to a strong second half. Richard Jefferson had 32 points and 7 rebounds, Ramon Sessions posted 15 points and 17 assists, and Charlie Bell scored 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting off the bench. Milwaukee hit 53% of their shots, and outrebounded Indiana by seven. Danny Granger led with 26 points and 5 rebounds, Troy Murphy tallied 23 points and 10 boards, and T.J. Ford contributed 14 points and 13 assists for the Pacers.

Game FIC Scores

Ramon Sessions, Milwaukee ? 24.4

Troy Murphy, Indiana ? 21.0

Richard Jefferson, Milwaukee ? 20.3

Danny Granger, Indiana ? 12.1

- Houston 94, Sacramento 82

Team FIC Differential: Rockets +26.9, Kings -26.9

The Rockets (32-21) used a 35-21 run in the third quarter to knock off the Kings (11-43) on Wednesday night. Yao Ming starred with 24 points and 18 rebounds, Luis Scola tallied 19 points and 11 boards, and Rafer Alston chipped in 5 points and 13 assists. Houston outrebounded Sacramento by thirteen, while both teams had issues taking care of the basketball. Kevin Martin had 18 points, Spencer Hawes posted 12 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, and Bobby Jackson scored 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Yao Ming, Houston ? 22.2

Luis Scola, Houston ? 14.6

Spencer Hawes, Sacramento ? 12.5

Kevin Martin, Sacramento ? 9.2

- Utah 113, Los Angeles 109

Team FIC Differential: Jazz +15.3, Lakers -15.3

The Jazz (30-23) won a hard-fought contest against the Lakers (42-10) at Energy Solutions Arena. Deron Williams starred with 31 points and 11 assists, Mehmet Okur posted 22 points and 8 rebounds, and Paul Millsap added 10 points and 8 boards. Utah hit 58% of their shots and attempted eleven more free throws than Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant scored 37 points, Lamar Odom tallied 19 points and 19 rebounds, and Pau Gasol turned in 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Deron Williams, Utah ? 23.4

Lamar Odom, Los Angeles ? 21.9

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles ? 15.3

Mehmet Okur, Utah ? 15.1

- Portland 106, Oklahoma City 92

Team FIC Differential: Blazers +32, Thunder -32

The Blazers (32-19) used a strong fourth quarter to put away the Thunder (13-40) on Wednesday night. Brandon Roy had 22 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, Greg Oden tallied 16 points and 10 boards, and Jerryd Bayless added 12 points and 8 dimes off the bench. Portland outrebounded Oklahoma City by nine and limited the Thunder to 39% shooting. Russell Westbrook led with 21 points and 12 rebounds, Kevin Durant posted 20 points and 7 boards, and Jeff Green contributed 17 points and 5 rebounds for the Thunder.

Game FIC Scores

Joel Przybilla, Portland ? 17.5

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City ? 15.8

Greg Oden, Portland ? 14.8

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City ? 14.5

- L.A. Clippers 128, New York 124 (OT)

Team FIC Differential: Clippers +10.5, Knicks -10.5

Al Harrington?s technical foul for hanging on the rim in the final minute allowed the Clippers (13-40) to force overtime and eventually beat the Knicks (21-31). Eric Gordon had 30 points and 5 assists, Zach Randolph posted 22 points and 15 rebounds, and Baron Davis turned in 13 points, 20 dimes and 6 boards. Los Angeles converted 51% of their shots, while New York struggled from three-point range (8-for-33). Nate Robinson excelled with 33 points, 15 assists, 9 rebounds and 5 steals, David Lee tallied 17 points and 12 boards, and Wilson Chandler added 27 points and 5 rebounds in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Nate Robinson, New York ? 34.4

Eric Gordon, Los Angeles ? 20.3

Baron Davis, Los Angeles ? 18.8

Jared Jefferies, New York ? 18.3

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their 'Reina Value.'
Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

With the trade deadline a week away, teams are calling the Jazz to ask them for the draft pick that will be conveyed to them unprotected in the 2010 draft by the Knicks.

"People that I talk to," Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said, "wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't ask about it."

There are currently no proposals on the table that involve the pick and it is unclear if other teams value it as much as the Jazz do.

An NBA source revealed that the Heat may no longer be as interested in forward Carlos Boozer because of both his injury woes and the excitement of the 2010 offseason.

Boozer lives in Miami during the summer and has said that he'll opt out of his contract after this season.

Passing on Boozer might allow the Heat to re-sign Dwyane Wade, and sign another top-flight free agent in the hyped summer of 2010.