Posted Jan 30 2012 8:47PM
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson and guard Raja Bell are sitting out against the Portland Trail Blazers because of injury.
Small forward Josh Howard, acquired as free agent after the NBA lockout ended, was set to make his first start Monday night for the Jazz.
Gordon Hayward moves from small forward to shooting guard in place of Bell, and second-year pro Derrick Favors starts in place of Jefferson. It is Favors' fifth start this season.
Jefferson, bothered by inflammation in his right ankle, leads the Jazz in scoring at 17.9 points per game and is second in rebounding with a 9.0 average.
Bell had started every game this season but strained his right adductor Saturday against Sacramento. He is averaging 5.9 points and 1.4 rebounds a game.
Howard has averaged 8.9 points and 2.9 rebounds off the bench.
 | Thunder vs. Lakers: Game 4 Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combine for 68 points as OKC beats the Lakers 103-100 in Los Angeles. |
 | Inside Trax Go inside the huddle with Scott Brooks and Mike Brown as they try to lead their teams to victory. |
 | Lakers-Thunder Game 5 Preview Preview Game 5 of the Lakers-Thunder series. |
 | Nightly Notable Russell Westbrook scores 37 points and dishes out five assists as OKC beats the Lakers 103-100 on Saturday night. |
 | Spurs-Clippers Game 4 Preview The GameTime crew takes an in-depth look at Spurs-Clippers Game 4. |
Copyright © NBA Media Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use. | Ad Choices 
NBA.com is part of Turner Sports Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network.
