SALT LAKE CITY — Much, much better.

Two days after they struggled and stumbled and had some fans worried they might go 0-66 this season, the Utah Jazz bounced back from their pummeling in Portland.

Heck, the Jazz were so much better in Wednesday’s 92-89 exhibition win over the Trail Blazers than they were two days earlier even a charge looked like it might’ve been the greatest offensive foul in franchise history.

“I think we came out with a different mentality tonight,” Jazz point guard Devin Harris said. “The last game we came out sluggish and slow and I thought we just (started) the game with more energy tonight.”

The Jazz’s 23-point turnaround verifies that claim.

Even so, Utah was far from perfect.

The offense, which struggled to 41.3 percent shooting, still needs fine-tuning.

The defense was superb in the final 36 minutes and stifled Portland into hitting just over a third of its shots, but Utah’s new scheme gave up another 30-point opening quarter.

And foul problems plagued three of the Jazz’s starters, with Raja Bell, Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors all being whistled three times in the first quarter.

“We came out (and) we were aggressive,” Hayward said. “We hit them first, played a lot better down the stretch. We definitely still have to improve.”

The Jazz now have five days to work out some kinks before beginning the 2011-12 season Tuesday in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

In an effort to find the most effective player combinations, Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin altered the opening lineup after he was disgusted with Monday’s effort.

With Paul Millsap still out with right quadriceps tendinitis, Favors got the starting nod at power forward over Mehmet Okur. And Hayward replaced Miles as a starter, with Harris, Al Jefferson and Bell rounding out the first five.

That opening unit didn’t exactly click, even falling behind 28-19.

“We’ve got new guys and we’re still trying to get to know each other,” said Harris, who had 10 points, two turnovers and just one assist. “It’s going to take a bit of time. “(Coach) is still trying to get the rotation, but we are moving in the right direction.”

The Jazz found life off of the bench, especially from C.J. Miles in the opening half, and turned things around after the slow start.

Miles scored a team-high 17 points, including two free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining that were as clutch as preseason foul shots can be.

Jefferson rebounded from his quiet exhibition opener, notching 15 points and nine rebounds. Jeremy Evans (nine points), Josh Howard (eight points), Okur (seven points) and Jamaal Tinsley (six points, six boards and three assists) each contributed nicely in reserve roles.

“I thought everybody did a great job,” Corbin said.

SALT LAKE CITY — Much, much better.

Two days after they struggled and stumbled and had some fans worried they might go 0-66 this season, the Utah Jazz bounced back from their pummeling in Portland.

Heck, the Jazz were so much better in Wednesday’s 92-89 exhibition win over the Trail Blazers than they were two days earlier even a charge looked like it might’ve been the greatest offensive foul in franchise history.

“I think we came out with a different mentality tonight,” Jazz point guard Devin Harris said. “The last game we came out sluggish and slow and I thought we just (started) the game with more energy tonight.”

The Jazz’s 23-point turnaround verifies that claim.

Even so, Utah was far from perfect.

The offense, which struggled to 41.3 percent shooting, still needs fine-tuning.

The defense was superb in the final 36 minutes and stifled Portland into hitting just over a third of its shots, but Utah’s new scheme gave up another 30-point opening quarter.

And foul problems plagued three of the Jazz’s starters, with Raja Bell, Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors all being whistled three times in the first quarter.

“We came out (and) we were aggressive,” Hayward said. “We hit them first, played a lot better down the stretch. We definitely still have to improve.”

The Jazz now have five days to work out some kinks before beginning the 2011-12 season Tuesday in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

In an effort to find the most effective player combinations, Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin altered the opening lineup after he was disgusted with Monday’s effort.

With Paul Millsap still out with right quadriceps tendinitis, Favors got the starting nod at power forward over Mehmet Okur. And Hayward replaced Miles as a starter, with Harris, Al Jefferson and Bell rounding out the first five.

That opening unit didn’t exactly click, even falling behind 28-19.

“We’ve got new guys and we’re still trying to get to know each other,” said Harris, who had 10 points, two turnovers and just one assist. “It’s going to take a bit of time. “(Coach) is still trying to get the rotation, but we are moving in the right direction.”

The Jazz found life off of the bench, especially from C.J. Miles in the opening half, and turned things around after the slow start.

Miles scored a team-high 17 points, including two free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining that were as clutch as preseason foul shots can be.

Jefferson rebounded from his quiet exhibition opener, notching 15 points and nine rebounds. Jeremy Evans (nine points), Josh Howard (eight points), Okur (seven points) and Jamaal Tinsley (six points, six boards and three assists) each contributed nicely in reserve roles.

“I thought everybody did a great job,” Corbin said.

SALT LAKE CITY — Much, much better.

Two days after they struggled and stumbled and had some fans worried they might go 0-66 this season, the Utah Jazz bounced back from their pummeling in Portland.

Heck, the Jazz were so much better in Wednesday’s 92-89 exhibition win over the Trail Blazers than they were two days earlier even a charge looked like it might’ve been the greatest offensive foul in franchise history.

“I think we came out with a different mentality tonight,” Jazz point guard Devin Harris said. “The last game we came out sluggish and slow and I thought we just (started) the game with more energy tonight.”

The Jazz’s 23-point turnaround verifies that claim.

Even so, Utah was far from perfect.

The offense, which struggled to 41.3 percent shooting, still needs fine-tuning.

The defense was superb in the final 36 minutes and stifled Portland into hitting just over a third of its shots, but Utah’s new scheme gave up another 30-point opening quarter.

And foul problems plagued three of the Jazz’s starters, with Raja Bell, Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors all being whistled three times in the first quarter.

“We came out (and) we were aggressive,” Hayward said. “We hit them first, played a lot better down the stretch. We definitely still have to improve.”

The Jazz now have five days to work out some kinks before beginning the 2011-12 season Tuesday in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

In an effort to find the most effective player combinations, Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin altered the opening lineup after he was disgusted with Monday’s effort.

With Paul Millsap still out with right quadriceps tendinitis, Favors got the starting nod at power forward over Mehmet Okur. And Hayward replaced Miles as a starter, with Harris, Al Jefferson and Bell rounding out the first five.

That opening unit didn’t exactly click, even falling behind 28-19.

“We’ve got new guys and we’re still trying to get to know each other,” said Harris, who had 10 points, two turnovers and just one assist. “It’s going to take a bit of time. “(Coach) is still trying to get the rotation, but we are moving in the right direction.”

The Jazz found life off of the bench, especially from C.J. Miles in the opening half, and turned things around after the slow start.

Miles scored a team-high 17 points, including two free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining that were as clutch as preseason foul shots can be.

Jefferson rebounded from his quiet exhibition opener, notching 15 points and nine rebounds. Jeremy Evans (nine points), Josh Howard (eight points), Okur (seven points) and Jamaal Tinsley (six points, six boards and three assists) each contributed nicely in reserve roles.

“I thought everybody did a great job,” Corbin said.

SALT LAKE CITY — The ominous labor-strife cloud that loomed over NBA cities, teams, players and fans for the past five months finally dissipated Thursday afternoon.

Think Utah Jazz CEO Greg Miller is excited about that?

“The lockout’s over!” Miller wrote on Twitter. “Let’s play ball!”

If Thursday’s official ratification of the collective bargaining agreement didn’t spread enough sunshine for you, Jazz fans, here are more rays of hope and reasons to be optimistic:

FRESH START

For months, we’ve heard about the NBPA, CBA, BRI, but in only 21/2 weeks real-live NBA action will return to the court.

“I was going crazy in July,” Jazz point guard Devin Harris admitted.

Now, basketball is officially back.

Players, too.

They’ve trickled back into Utah one by one over the past week or so, but tonight will be the first time since April that returning Jazz guys will be on the same court at the same time.

Eight months after they wrapped up an historical late-season free fall, playoff miss and all of that team turmoil, Jazz players are eager, enthusiastic and hungry to give it another try.

It’s redemption time.

They’re so excited to get ready for the upcoming basketball buffet, they might not even mind how many wind sprints second-year coach Tyrone Corbin makes them run.

“I’m ready to play, man,” Utah guard Raja Bell recently said. “I couldn’t be more excited about the prospect of getting back to playing ball. It’s been my life for so long now that you kind of feel like a part of you is missing when you don’t get a chance to do it.”

(Getting paychecks again makes them happy as well, no doubt.)

BIG MAN BONANZA

When people are talking about you having too much of a certain thing and it involves talented big men who demand playing time, that’s a good problem to have.

“It’s like pitching in baseball,” Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor said of his team’s bigs situation. “I don’t think you can get enough of it.”

Watching Corbin figure out the rotation for this big man staff — and decide who will be the ace and starters and who’ll be the middle relief crew — is one of the more intriguing aspects of this season’s squeezed schedule.

The Jazz centers include a potential All-Star in Al Jefferson, a rejuvenated former All-Star in Mehmet Okur and a top-three pick in Enes Kanter.

They also feature a pair of powerful forwards in Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors, yet another No. 3 draftee.

The fun will be seeing who has the bigger problem — Corbin trying to share minutes or opponents trying to deal with these five guys?

BOSOM BUDDIES

Gordon Hayward and Jeremy Evans each won over Jazz fans last year.

Revisit the basketball exhibition game where Utah Jazz members and other NBA players including Jimmer Fredette came to Salt Lake Community College for the Pro Players Charity Classic.

Jazz regulars Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, C.J. Miles, Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Eric Watson, Ronnie Price and Jeremy Evans all saw action, along with last summer’s Utah draft picks, Enes Kanter and Alec Burks.

Other players included former Jazzman Wesley Matthews and other “name” Jazz opponents like Chauncey Billups, Stephen Curry, Corey Maggette and Anthony Tolliver.