Jazz power forward Paul Millsap — who made his 12th straight start Saturday in place of the injured All-Star Carlos Boozer — has moved up from eighth to seventh place on the NBA's list of consecutive games by active players.
Millsap jumped because Orlando beat the Jazz on Saturday night without All-Star center Dwight Howard, who was inactive because his hurt his left knee in the Jazz's game against Phoenix on Friday night.
Howard, missing the first game of his five-season NBA career, had been third on the list at 352, trailing only University of Utah product Andre Miller of Philadelphia (472) and Detroit's Tayshaun Prince (434).
Millsap hasn't missed a game in any of his three NBA seasons, a streak that hit 189 Saturday.
Two former Jazz players, Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington's DeShawn Stevenson, moved up on the same list Saturday, to third and fourth, respectively.
ADD ANOTHER: Philadelphia's firing of coach Maurice Cheeks on Saturday marks the 224th NBA coaching change since Jerry Sloan succeeded Frank Layden as coach of the Jazz on Dec. 9, 1988.
It's the 10th change for the 76ers since then, pushing them into a tie for fifth on the list with Washington.
Only Denver (12), New York (12), the Los Angeles Clippers (11) and the Los Angeles Lakers (11) have had more.
"That's a sad deal," Jazz swingman Kyle Korver, who played for Cheeks in Philly, said of the firing.
"He's a good guy," Korver added. "He's a really good guy."
GOOD LUCK: The Arizona Republic confirmed a report by Phoenix radio station KTAR-AM that ex-Jazz guard Raja Bell, dealt by Phoenix to Charlotte last week, requested a trade about two weeks ago.
Said Bell to the newspaper: "I wish them (the Suns) the best of luck. That part of my life is over."
CLARK SENTENCED: Ex-Jazz and former Dixie State big man Keon Clark, who was released from an Illinois correctional center in October and placed on parole until July, was given 30 months' probation Friday as a result of four different outstanding Illinois cases, The (Danville, Ill.) Commercial-News reported.
Clark was sentenced on an amended 2005 charge of possession of a controlled substance, a 2006 charge of possession of a firearm without proper identification and two separate 2007 charges of reckless driving.
He also reportedly had a request to transfer his probation restrictions to Marion County, Ind., denied.
Instead of living in the Indianapolis area, the newspaper reported, the 33-year-old Clark is required to live in Vermillion County, Ill., throughout the term of his probation.
Clark played two games for the Jazz before sustaining an ankle injury and eventually being traded to Phoenix in the 2003-04 season.
MISC.: With Ronnie Brewer absent Saturday to attend an aunt's out-of-state funeral, only Millsap and C.J. Miles have played in all 25 games this season. ... Morris Almond's first career start, made in place of Brewer at shooting guard, came in just his 24th NBA game. ... Point guard Deron Williams has had 11 assists in each of the Jazz's last three games. ... With Boozer's status uncertain, the Jazz plan to take reserve big man Kyrylo Fesenko on their upcoming road trip — and not assign him to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Utah Flash.
E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com