Utah Jazz: Foye gets warm welcome against former team

Los Angeles • For Randy Foye, it was "just another game," and Mo Williams didn't even get that much.

The homecoming for the Jazz's two former Clippers was significantly watered down Wednesday after Mo Williams sat out his second straight game with a strained right adductor muscle in his groin.

Still, Williams commanded a heavy contingent of Los Angeles media in pregame interviews and Foye said he was grateful for the support he got from Los Angeles fans in Saturday's win against the Lakers, his first game back at the Staples Center.

Williams and Foye both spent the last two seasons with the Clippers, Williams after being acquired in 2011 as part of a midseason trade with Cleveland. Williams averaged 13.2 points per game last season for the Clippers backing up Chris Paul, and Foye averaged 11.

Neither player, however, seemed to be thinking too much about his return.

"Probably during the regular season when we play against them, I will be more excited," Foye said. "But right now, I'm just continuing to try to grow as a player. Not really thinking about me being back here the first time."

Foye entered Wednesday's game with 3:42 remaining in the first half and received a appreciative applause from the crowd. It was quickly followed by a smattering of claps when he made his first shot, a 3-pointer, 18 seconds after entering the game. With Williams and Foye filling out their backcourt, the 2011-12 Clippers entered the playoffs as a No. 5 seed and reached the second round.

"We went to battle every night," Williams said. "We went to the playoffs. You get close to them when you go to the playoffs because you've got to come together. We did that, through adversity," Williams said.

Williams is likely to share the court with his former teammates on Saturday when the Clippers travel to Salt Lake. He was originally listed as probable for Wednesday's game before being scratched.

"We see these guys again Saturday — we have a day off tomorrow," he said. "It's more of just taking advantage of these three days off."

Favors sits, too

Derrick Favors said he bumped knees with a Laker player during Tuesday's win in Anaheim and when he awoke on Wednesday it was swollen.

The result was that the Jazz's dynamic young power forward was held out against the Clippers as a precaution.

boram@sltrib.com

Twitter: @oramb