Utah (26-22) returns to EnergySolutions Arena following Saturday's 122-108 loss to Portland. The Jazz lost for the ninth time in 10 road games as the Trail Blazers shot 55.8 percent from the field, including 10-of-20 from 3-point range. It was the highest shooting percentage for a Utah opponent since the Los Angeles Lakers shot 55.8 percent in a 119-109 victory on Nov. 4, 2007.

"It didn't make any difference what we were trying to do defensively," said Sloan, whose team fell to 8-16 on the road. "They scored and took advantage of us. They were terrific. We never got close to guarding them. Guys were confused. It was really a nightmare."

The veteran coach was understandably irked with the performance coming on the heels of an easy 20-point win over Oklahoma City on Friday.

"I've played this game and if you're fatigued after a night like that and riding on a charter flight with everything in the world for you? and if you can't get ready to play after that, that's difficult for me to understand," Sloan told Utah's official Web site. "I don't know what their interest is - is it numbers or winning basketball games?"

The mounting number of injuries for the Jazz may be contributing to their inconsistency. Andrei Kirilenko will miss this game and could be out for up to four weeks after having surgery on his right ankle on Friday. Carlos Boozer, who had 26 points and 15 boards in Utah's 104-96 loss at Charlotte on Nov. 14, will miss another game as he rehabs a left knee injury that will keep him sidelined past the Feb. 15 All-Star game.

Deron Williams had his string of six straight double-doubles snapped on Saturday, but hit 12-of-18 shots and scored a season-high 35 points. He missed the first meeting with Charlotte due to a sprained left ankle.

"Bottom line, we've got to stop being so soft as a team," Williams said. "Teams push us around, and we don't push back. We're lying down and letting them walk all over us."

Charlotte (19-28) is 1-3 on its trip after dropping its second straight game on Friday, losing 110-99 at Denver.

"We weren't as good as them," Charlotte coach Larry Brown said. "They were great."

Raja Bell, who scored a season-high 27 against the Nuggets, spent two seasons (2003-05) with Utah, averaging 11.6 points. Bell is shooting 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from long distance and scoring 19.5 points per game during the Bobcats' road swing.

Playing with Phoenix, Bell averaged 4.5 points in two games against Utah this season.

Boris Diaw, acquired with Bell from the Suns on Dec. 10, had 16 points, five boards and five assists on Friday. He is averaging 14.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists since the trade.

Bobcats leading scorer Gerald Wallace was released from the hospital after suffering a partially collapsed lung suffered in Charlotte's 117-110 double-overtime win over the Lakers on Jan. 27. There is no timetable on his return.

Charlotte has lost its last two games in Utah by an average of 23.5 points.