SAN ANTONIO (AP) -Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams started Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Wednesday night despite a sprained right foot, but was without his usual backcourt mate, Derek Fisher.
Fisher was returning from New York, where his infant daughter underwent a procedure for a rare eye condition. He was expected to arrive before tip-off, but wasn’t on the court or the bench in time. Gordan Giricek started in his place, with Dee Brown prepared to come off the bench.
Utah went into the game trailing the San Antonio Spurs 3-1 and facing elimination.
, helped the Jazz win that game.
Fisher made it to the Salt Lake City arena that night behind a police escort. The same treatment in San Antonio was highly unlikely.
The club announced after Game 4 in Salt Lake City on Monday night that Fisher was leaving the team to be with Tatum during further treatment. Team spokeswoman Cindy Edman said the Fishers had a doctor’s appointment Tuesday and a procedure Wednesday morning.
“I wrote him a text last night and he sounded like things were doing well,” forward Carlos Boozer said at shootaround Wednesday morning. “He said he’d be back today. So hopefully everything will be all right and we’ll see him tonight.”
Williams hurt his foot in the fourth quarter of Game 4. He received treatment instead of practicing Tuesday, then wore a large walking boot at the shootaround Wednesday morning. The team initially reported the injury as a sprained ankle, but corrected the diagnosis Wednesday.
Williams was a game-time decision Monday night, too, but played 38 minutes and scored a team-best 27 points. He’s averaging a team-best 29.5 points and 9.3 assists this series.
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