SALT LAKE CITY — As bad as they’ve played at times, it might come as a surprise that the Utah Jazz can even their record with a win tonight.

One guy that won’t get in their way: 7-foot Andrew Bogut .

The Milwaukee Bucks center and former University of Utah star is not with the team and won’t play tonight because of personal matters.

Mike Dunleavy (groin pain) and Ben Udrih (left shoulder pain) will also miss the Jazz-Bucks game.

“We have an opportunity to improve our record to 3-3 tonight, but it’s not going to be easy,” Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said after his team’s morning shootaround. “Milwaukee’s a good ball club. We’re going to have to compete against them as if they’re coming in here to win.”

Both the Jazz (2-3) and Bucks (2-2) are coming off of games Monday night. Milwaukee lost in Denver 91-86, and Utah edged New Orleans 94-90 at EnergySolutions Arena.

That location tidbit makes tonight’s showdown an anomaly. This is the first back-to-back set with two home games for the Jazz since Nov. 2008.

This was Utah fans’ only chance to catch an up-close-and-person glimpse of the former Ute standout, who is averaging 14.3 points and 10.0 rebounds this season.

Earlier today, Corbin credited Bogut for being a solid passer with strong low-post moves.

“He’s a versatile big guy who’s continued to get better and learned this game,” Corbin said.

This game (7 p.m. MT tipoff, ROOT Sports) will conclude a six-games-in-eight-nights beginning of the season for the Jazz. It’s also the second of three home games Utah has this week and one of 12 contests at ESA in January for the young team.

Utah will go with the same starters as Monday: Devin Harris, Raja Bell, Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson.

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Utah Jazz guard Devin Harris (5) goes up to the basket between Philadelphia 76ers center Spencer Hawes (00) and guard Jrue Holiday (11) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart) / AP

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The folks at ROOT Sports have a few holes to fill on their schedule in the next few months. Like, maybe, 79 holes if there’s no NBA season.

That’s the number of Utah Jazz regular-season games ROOT (formerly known as Fox Sports Net-Utah) telecast last season. What with the replays, that’s something in the neighborhood of 400 hours of programming ROOT might need to replace.

And it goes beyond just holes in the schedule. The Utah Jazz are far and away the most-watched and most-valuable asset ROOT has in Utah. Which is why the two signed a contract that moved all the games to cable through the end of 2020-21 season.

Clearly, the folks at ROOT Sports hope the lockout ends.

“We’re certainly prepared to air Jazz games, whether it’s at the start of the regular season as planned or whenever they do come back,” said Tim Griggs, executive vice president and general of ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain/Utah. “That’s how you have to plan.

“Without the NBA, obviously the next most compelling programming we’ll have on our air is collegiate football and basketball.”

He pointed to the Utah-Colorado football game on Nov. 25. He said it’s possible the Utah-Arizona game on Nov. 5 could also end up on ROOT/FSN. And he looked ahead to basketball season, when ROOT will carry the BYU-Utah game on Dec. 10, the Utah-Colorado game on Dec. 31, and at least three more Ute games in January and February.

As part of its continuing partnership with the Jazz and KJZZ, ROOT is replaying local high school football games. It will pick up the 3A championship game as well as the 4A and 5A semifinals.

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And there will be some other programming of local interest, like “Runnin’ with the Pac,” which features Pac-12 athletes and teams.

But none of that is going to help much when it comes to filling the enormous hole in the schedule and the enormous hit to ROOT’s bottom line if there’s no NBA. The regional sports network stands to lose millions in ad revenues; national NBA rights-holders ESPN/ABC and TNT may lose as much as $1.25 billion.

ESPN/ABC and TNT will have an easier time filling their schedules, however. ROOT doesn’t have as much sports inventory as ESPN/ABC, and can’t just run movies like TNT.

There’s no official announcement yet, but the Jazz and ROOT are working on “bringing Jazz content to fans while the lockout continues” to fill some of the gap, said Griggs. “I don’t know exactly what this is going to look like.”

Officially, the Jazz are mum on the subject. But Griggs is clearly interested in it.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of pent-up demand from Jazz fans,” he said.

Really? I’m not so sure. Will fans be interested in anything to do with the Jazz if the lockout continues? Or will it be just a painful reminder of what they’re missing?

The even bigger question is what will happen to the NBA’s TV ratings when the games finally tip off. What if the lockout takes out part or all of the regular season? Fan resentment will only grow.

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With the latest news of an entrenched stalemate in NBA
contract negotiations, the reality is starting to set in
that we may not be able to count on the Utah Jazz to help
us through Utah’s long winter evenings.

The state of negotiations — or lack thereof — on
the league’s collective bargaining agreement is
frustrating, aggravating and galling to millions of
basketball fans who are helplessly voiceless in the
whole process.

It’s not just the lack of sympathy for
millionaire players and billionaire owners, but the fact
that there is no place at the table for fans to make their
voices heard in a meaningful way. Certainly, fans have no
legal standing to participate in negotiations, but since
the league’s fan base is the economic engine that keeps
the NBA moving, isn’t it strange that in all of the
discussions over the negotiations, fan sentiment is
rarely, if ever, mentioned?

It’s not that fans aren’t trying to be heard. A
non-profit group that calls itself the Sports Fans
Coalition has formally condemned the lockout and
explored whether the Federal Communications Commission has
some standing to step in and force a resolution.

“It’s not just the lack of sympathy for millionaire players and billionaire owners, but the fact that there is no place at the table for fans to make their voices heard in a meaningful way.”

In Cleveland, a frustrated Browns
fan sued the NFL when it’s
now-ended lockout was announced, claiming it violated the
contractual terms of his season ticket package. There was
probably little chance the fan would prevail in court, but
there was no doubting the sincerity of his expression, on
behalf of all fans, who collectively see themselves as a
legitimate third party.

Of course, in the bigger picture, fans do have a
significant say. They can simply not show up when the
league finally resumes play. To some extent, that happened
after the NBA lockout in 1998 that reduced the season to
50 games. Before that lockout, the league had reached a
peak of success. Television ratings in the NBA finals —
between the Jazz and Chicago Bulls — were the highest
ever. The following season, they dropped by a significant
percentage. Ticket sales lagged for several seasons, as
well.

Coincidentally, this latest lockout comes just as
the league has reached another pinnacle of popularity, and
there is talk in the sports
media
of that
momentum being in jeopardy.

NBA teams are fond of hosting “fan appreciation”
events, and players are always thanking fans for their
support. But fans need to see more of a full-court press
on getting the lockout resolved before they’re likely to
find that sentiment sincere.

Brady Morningstar needed a few seconds to catch his breath Tuesday after a rigorous workout with the NBA’s Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.

“I’m a little winded because we’re up here in the altitude. I think it does something to you, but it was fun,” said Morningstar. The 6-foot-4 former Kansas University and Free State High guard ran through drills with BYU’s Jackson Emery, Westminster’s Michael Stockton and Virginia’s Mustapha Farrakhan.

“They teach you a lot, have you go hard and see what you can do,” Morningstar added in an interview with the Jazz public relations staff.

Morningstar, who is represented by Tommy Thomas of McClaren Sports, next has a workout with San Antonio’s Spurs on June 7. Morningstar has said he likely will play in Europe next year if he doesn’t land a spot in the NBA.

Markieff also in Utah: Former KU forward Markieff Morris worked out for the Jazz on Sunday. He was asked by reporters what NBA player he resembles.

“Carlos Boozer was here, so that’s why I said that,” he said of comparing himself to Boozer, the former Jazz standout now with the Chicago Bulls. “Rasheed Wallace maybe. I can score better than people think I can. I am a great passer. I have a high basketball IQ. I am competitive,” he added, asked what he brings to an NBA franchise.

Marcus Morris in Indiana: Former KU forward Marcus Morris worked out for the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday with BYU’s Jimmer Fredette, Tennessee’s Tobias Harris, Florida’s Vernon Macklin, Duke’s Nolan Smith and Jeremy Tyler, who played last season in Tokyo. Marcus will work out for Milwaukee’s Bucks today.

“They’ve got a lot of shooters, a lot of athletic guys,” Morris said of the Pacers. “Danny Granger is a shooter. Of course, they have Kansas native Brandon Rush. I know a few guys on the team.”

Asked by nba.com if he’s spoken to former KU player Rush lately about draft preparations, Morris said: “No. I mean Brandon is kind of a loner a little bit. He doesn’t come back to Kansas that much. He’s a good guy. I’ve talked to Cole a little bit. He told me about the process,” Morris added of former KU center Cole Aldrich of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dad visiting DeAndre: DeAndre Daniels’ dad, who lives in California, has joined his son at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla., Rivals.com reports. This has led to speculation the 6-8 senior may be close to announcing for KU, Texas or Oregon. San Diego State and Oklahoma State have also been mentioned. One recruiting Website insists he’ll announce at the Pangos camp this weekend in Los Angeles.

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Lawrence Journal-World.

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