D-Will has impressive run News Cleveland Cavaliers

Michael Jordan. LeBron James. Deron Williams. Thanks to his hot streak prior to the All-Star break, that's the kind of elite company the Jazz point guard has put himself in. During his last five games, Williams has scorched the nets and opponents for an average of 33 points on a sizzling 60-percent shooting from the field.

The King did that last season, making James the last NBA player to string together five games in a row of both 30-plus points on at least 50-percent shooting in each contest. His Airness, however, was the last guard to light it up like Williams has been. Jordan did it during an extended red-hot streak in November of 1996. Carlos Boozer called Williams' recent shooting explosion and accuracy "awesome." Boozer added that it's quite evident that Williams is healthy again after battling through a severe ankle injury that sidelined him for 13 games early on and hampered his play well after that. "That's what we needed. We needed him to get back healthy, especially with me and (Andrei Kirilenko) being out," Boozer said at practice Monday. "He's been unreal." Ask Boozer, and he'll tell ya Williams should have been in Phoenix instead of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, this past weekend. "I thought he should have been in the All-Star Game," Boozer said. "It's unfortunate that he didn't make it, but he's been playing like an All-Star." "He's helped us tremendously, that's the talent he has," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan added. Boozer hasn't been surprised that Williams has been on such a tear, either. A couple of weeks ago, in fact, Boozer said his Team USA teammate told him, "I'm going to try to do as much as I can to carry the load while you're out. "And," Boozer added, "he has been." Williams simply wanted to keep his team in the playoff mix. "I felt like I needed to take it upon myself since I was feeling better," he said, "to start trying to pick up the scoring load and try to take over games a little bit more." NOT SEEKING FAME: Sloan didn't throw a party for himself at his Illinois farm this past weekend when it was announced that he is a Class of 2009 finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame. "That hasn't been my ambition in coaching," he said Monday. "It hasn't been my ambition in playing." The Jazz coach did, however, admit that it would be somewhat special. "Obviously, it would be an honor," he said. "But I'm not going to lose any sleep over it." The fact that John Stockton was also named a first-ballot finalist and is likely to be inducted with Sloan definitely makes it all the more special for the NBA's fourth all-time-winningest coach. "That would be exciting, but again there's a lot of other people interested in doing it," Sloan said. "I don't worry about that at this stage. I've got too much to worry about here." UTAH CONNECTION: Though Marc Iavaroni's connection to Utah are well known from his Jazz playing days, Memphis' new coach actually has deeper roots in the Beehive State than the Grizzlies' recently fired coach. Lionel Hollins, who replaced Iavaroni after he was fired in January and will try to guide his new team to its first win in four tries against Utah this season tonight at EnergySolutions Arena, began his All-American college career at Dixie Junior College. He played for the Rebels from 1971-73 before transferring to Arizona State. Deron's last five games Feb. 11 Jazz 113, Lakers 109 12-17 31 Feb. 8 Warriors 116, Jazz 96 12-23 31 Feb. 6 Jazz 111, Kings 107 11-19 34 Feb. 5 Jazz 115, Mavericks 87 11-20 34 Jan. 31 Blazers 122, Jazz 108 12-18 35 E-mail: jody@desnews.com