Health is wealth, man, I feel as healthy as I have in two years, so that’s what it’s about. – Alec Burks

SALT LAKE CITY — It could have been a little demeaning for former Jazz starter Alec Burks to be the 12th Jazz player to get in the game Monday night against the Sydney Kings. Once in, he looked pretty good, scoring six points with three assists in 10 minutes of action.

Coach Quin Snyder promised Burks would get more meaningful minutes Wednesday night and he did as he led the Jazz in scoring with 16 points and also grabbed eight rebounds with a pair of assists in a team-high 23 minutes after entering the game in the first quarter.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that are going to have moments and are playing well and it’s good to see Alec with everything he’s been through as far as fighting to get healthy the last couple of years,” Snyder said. “He’s getting his timing back, which is good to see.”

As for Burks, he said he’s never lost his confidence and it’s a matter of being healthy for the first time in a couple of years after suffering a severe leg injury that lingered for the past two seasons.

“Health is wealth, man, I feel as healthy as I have in two years, so that’s what it’s about,” Burks said. “For the last couple of years, I haven’t been myself, so I feel like it’s a new chapter because I’m back to my old self. I want to get back to the physical player I was, but I’m more mature, a different player.”

View Comments

HISTORY IN ISRAEL: While none of the Jazz players ever played for Maccabi Haifa, several have ties to Israel basketball.

Joe Ingles played the 2013-14 season with Maccabi Tel Aviv and helped his team defeat Maccabi Haifa in the decisive game of the Israeli League Finals.

Eric Griffin played for Gilboa Galil last season and was an All-Star who averaged 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Ekpe Udoh played one game in the Israeli League in 2011, while Derrick Favors played a game against Maccabi Haifa as a rookie for the New Jersey Nets in 2010.

JAZZ NOTES: All 16 Jazz players who suited up in Wednesday night’s game scored . . . Thabo Sefolosha started in place of resting Rodney Hood and finished with six points and three assists . . . While the Jazz shot 56 percent from the field, Maccabi managed to shoot just 30.1 percent . . . The Jazz had 31 assists on 42 made baskets . . . The Jazz play the Phoenix Suns Friday night at home before heading out on the road for a pair of games at Phoenix and Los Angeles next week.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.