This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Jazz played Charlotte on Friday night without Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Mo Wiliams because of injuries.
It could have been worse.
DeMarre Carroll suffered a hyperextended knee Wednesday against Atlanta and was listed as questionable before the game against the Bobcats.
Carroll contributed a career-high 19 points in only 20 minutes, however, during the Jazz's lopsided 98-68 victory.
"The energy plays he made tonight — that he always makes for us — were just great," said coach Tyrone Corbin.
According to Carroll, he didn't know he was going to play when he showed up for the morning shootaround. But after talking to Millsap, he decided to try.
"Paul asked me, 'Are you going to go?' Carroll said. "I was like, 'I don't know. I think I'm going to give it a go. Are you going?' He said he wasn't. So I thought, 'I've got to get out there and go.' "
Carroll suffered his injury during the first half of Utah's 102-91 loss to Atlanta.
"... I think I might have stepped wrong," Carroll said. "I went for an MRI [on Thursday]. I was praying and it came out good. They said I didn't do any damage to my ACL or MCL. So it's a blessing. Every day. Like I said, I'm blessed."
Corbin knew a few hours before the game that Carroll planned to play, but he was hesitant about putting him in.
Said Carroll: "At the end of the first quarter, he came to me and asked, 'Are you close to 100 [percent]?' You know me, being a competitor, I'm going to say yes. I told him to throw me out there and see what I could do."
Carroll entered the game with 8:27 left in the first half. By then, the Jazz owned a 29-15 lead.
"I know he's a little banged up," Corbin said, "so I waited a little later in the game and went down and talked to him. I said, 'Are you sure you're OK to go?' And he assured me he was fine, so we got him in the game."
Carroll had only two points and two rebounds at halftime, but he exploded for 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting in the fourth quarter.
"[There was] some sharp pain but, you know, it will go away," Carroll said. "One thing about me, I have a high pain tolerance. I'm the Junkyard Dog. Whenever I get on the court, I do what I got to do. I try to play hard and be the Junkyard Dog."
A closer look
• DeMarre Carroll plays 21 minutes during the Jazz's 98-68 victory over Charlotte.
• Despite playing with a sore knee, Carroll scores a career-high 19 points.
• He also contributes three rebounds, three steals and one block.