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Anaheim, Calif. •Mo Williams and his strained right adductor took the night off Tuesday against the Lakers, but the veteran point guard said he will be back for Wednesday's game against the Clippers at Staples Center.
Williams, a 10-year veteran, said he has battled the injury since undergoing hernia surgery in 2008, and that it tends to flare up during training camp each year.
"We want to be careful with it," Williams said, "make sure it don't become a problem going into the season. I should be ready by tomorrow."
Coach Tyrone Corbin said he didn't want Williams to put "himself in jeopardy of missing more games down the road" and that it's "better to be a little bit more cautious now than take a chance with him."
Jamaal Tinsley started in Williams' place.
Anaheim or bused
The Jazz and Lakers tipped off at 7 p.m. local time, as scheduled. But there was plenty of handwringing — or at least curiosity — over what might happen, when with about 55 minutes to go before tipoff, the bus carrying several Jazz players, as well as Corbin, had not yet arrived at the Honda Center. The Jazz and Lakers played their second exhibition game in four nights at the home of the Anaheim Ducks, 42 miles from the Jazz's hotel in Marina Del Rey.
"Luckily, it's exhibition season," Corbin said. "Traffic slowed us down a little bit."
The Lakers were also late to the arena, although Corbin said he was not ever particularly worried about the impact on the game.
"I was sitting in the back," he said. "I'm just waiting on when we get in, I couldn't do anything about it."
Burks ready to throw down at dunks
The Jazz's El Segundo practice gym was filled with lots of yelps and cheers following the shoot-around Tuesday. The reason? A dunking exhibition put on by Alec Burks. The 6-foot-6 Jazz guard put on a dizzying display of dunks, including a between-the-legs windmill.
Asked afterward if he was looking to take the spot of teammate Jeremy Evans, the reigning NBA slam dunk champion, in the dunk contest during All-Star Weekend, Burks replied, "Oh yeah. I'm going to win it."
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