The Utah Jazz are off to their worst start in six years. They are frustrated, upset and confused after going 1-3 to open the season. They aren't, however, making excuses.

No, it's Danny Ainge, the ex-BYU star who coaches the Phoenix Suns with all the restraint of Saddam Hussein, who's making the excuses for the Jazz."They had four games in five nights," said Ainge, whose team ripped Utah, 106-84, Tuesday night at America West Arena. "We had three days off. It was one of those `schedule games' on you're homecourt where you've got to win . . . I would have been very disappointed if we hadn't won based on the schedule, based on their not having John Stockton and based on us having everybody healthy."

Those facts were of no consolation to Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. Neither is the fact that all three Utah losses have been to talent-laden playoff teams.

"We're not working hard enough," he said. "The guys think they are working hard until they realize they're getting their butts kicked."

The butt-kicking happened quickly for the record-tying Jazz Tuesday. Utah equaled the all-time mark for ineptitude in a half at America West Arena with its 33-point outburst in the first and second quarters. The Suns, ahead by 19, had the game well in hand.

"We died right off the bat," said Sloan.

Said guard Jeff Hornacek, "I don't think we're dogging it, but we haven't had the intensity we need knowing that John's out and that other teams - since we went to the Finals - will be geared up to play us."

Utah, the best shooting team in the NBA three years running, has struggled to score so far this season. The Jazz made just 36 percent of their shots Tuesday. Even in Utah's lone victory, Saturday night's home opener against the Denver Nuggets, the Jazz weren't sharp.

"Looking back at the four games, it's like we've just gone through the motions," said Hornacek.

"There's been no emotion out there, no enthusiasm. It's a matter of us thinking we need to just show up and we're going to win games. Especially without John, that's not going to happen."

The Jazz are just months removed from their gut-wrenching NBA Finals appearance against the Chicago Bulls. They don't want to become the next Michael Dukakis - a runner-up that's easy to forget.

Sloan insists the Jazz can only do one thing to get back on track - work harder. He could have given them Wednesday off and been justified. After all, his team played four games in five days. He didn't. The Jazz, who arrived back in Salt Lake after midnight, worked out at Westminster College this morning.

"It shows what kind of character you have when things get tough, like they are right now," said Karl Malone, who scored a team-high 22 points Tuesday night. "There are a lot of expectations on this team. Every guy now has to look at himself and try to get the job done."

Certainly Utah misses Stockton, the NBA's all-time assists and steals leader and a nine-time all-star, who will be out until December at the earliest after knee surgery. His replacements - Howard Eisley and Jacque Vaughn - combined for four assists against the Suns. Jason Kidd dished out a Stockton-like 13 for Phoenix.

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But the Jazz are also missing Bryon Russell and Greg Ostertag. While it's true the team's starting small forward and center, respectively, are still in the lineup, they have yet to play up to the standards they set for themselves last season.

Sloan maintains he's not yet ready to tinker too much. "I don't see us making any changes (in the starting lineup) at this point," he said.

But it won't get much easier right away. The Jazz play back-to-back road games this weekend.

Friday they'll face the Nuggets in Denver. Then it's off to San Antonio to meet the new-look Spurs - now with Tim Duncan and a healthy David Robinson.

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