Boozer, Jazz hand Bulls 4th straight loss

If Carlos Boozer goes on the trading block before the February deadline, the price might be high.

If the Utah power forward was giving a 2010 free-agent audition late Thursday night, the Bulls surely took note.

Boozer abused the visitors with 28 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, while hitting an impressive 12 of 14 shots from the field. The Bulls suffered their fourth straight ugly loss out West, dropping a 105-86 decision to the Jazz at Energy Solutions Arena.

Like the rest of America, the Bulls seemed a bit overstuffed and reeling from tryptophan intake late. Luol Deng (26 points) and Derrick Rose (19 points) looked OK, but most everyone else was a no-show. Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson both had 5 fouls before the third quarter was over.

The Bulls (6-8) trailed 21-20 with 1:47 left in the first quarter, then went to the bench and watched Utah erupt for a 22-6 run and the game was pretty much over. The Bulls stayed close into the third quarter against Portland and Denver in the previous two games, but not this time.

Coming off a home loss to Oklahoma City two days earlier, the Jazz brought its "A" game and used offensive execution to make the Bulls look silly.

Boozer wasn't the only player who couldn't miss. Point guard Deron Williams knocked down 9 of 11 shots for 21 points. Utah (8-7) shot 60.8 percent from the field overall.

Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich skipped the game because of a sprained left thumb that apparently happened during Wednesday's practice. Last year, Hinrich missed two months early in the season with a torn ligament in his right thumb. Hinrich's absence came into play quickly when John Salmons picked up his second foul at the 4:22 mark of the first quarter and Jannero Pargo got the call off the bench.

Before the first quarter ended, rookie forward James Johnson checked in and center Aaron Gray made his season debut with 12.4 seconds left in the quarter. Gray had been out with a stress fracture in his left fibula since the early days of training camp.

The sub-heavy lineup didn't fare well, though. For the first time all season, they had Gray, Johnson, Pargo and Brad Miller together with Rose, and Utah pulled away quickly.

Boozer is part of one Bulls-Jazz story line. When it was widely believed that Boozer would be traded last summer, he went on the radio in Chicago and mentioned how much he'd like to join the Bulls. Boozer also stated a preference for playing in Miami. As it turned out, Boozer wasn't traded. But he is in the final year of his contract, and after Utah matched an offer sheet for power forward Paul Millsap, Boozer figures to leave the Jazz one way or another - either through a trade before the deadline or as a free agent next summer.

Asked about playing against the Bulls after what happened this summer, Boozer said in the Salt Lake Tribune, "That's like a lifetime ago, man. There's been so much going on since then."