PLAYER MATCHUPS

BENCHPaul Millsap, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Price

vs. Chris Andersen, J.R. Smith, Ty Lawson et al

Utah’s bench is decidedly thin, especially because Kirilenko — perhaps the Jazz’s best hope defending Anthony — will miss the series after reinjuring his calf on Thursday. The Jazz need the Millsap who had a career-high 24 rebounds Tuesday, not the one with just seven points and seven boards when

Boozer was out Wednesday. Korver shot an NBA-record 53.6 percent from 3-point range this season. Price aver-aged 13.4 minutes as Williams’ backup this season, but that may dip in the postseason. No one else on Utah’s bench — Sundiata Gaines, Othyus Jeffers, Kyrylo Fesenko, Kosta Koufos — has playoff experience.

Andersen’s length and shot blocking (1.88 per game) gives the Jazz fits, as does the quickness of backup point Lawson, who could see time on Williams as well. Smith is the wild card, a chucker who can do in an opponent with a hot streak or shoot the Nuggets right out of a game.

COACHESJerry Sloan vs. George Karl/Adrian Dantley

Sloan, inducted last offseason into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, is the NBA’s fourth-winningest coach. He coaxed 53 victories out a team whose season could have been a disaster because of Boozer’s pending free agency. But the Jazz blew a shot at finishing third in the NBA’s Western Conference by los-

ing their finale with Phoenix.Karl is expected to miss the entire series while battling throat and neck cancer, so assistant Dantley steps

into the top spot. Ex-Jazz star Dantley’s retired number hangs in the rafters of EnergySolutions Arena, and he aspires to be a head coach, but the Nuggets are just 11-8 since he took over.

— Tim Buckley

POINT GUARDDeron Williams vs. Chauncey Billups

Much like last postseason, it’s up-and-comer vs. savvy veteran — but replace the Los Angeles Lakers’ Derek Fisher with Billups, who averaged

a career-high 19.5 points this season. His resume: six NBA teams, five All-Star Game selections, one NBA title and an NBA Finals MVP award with Detroit in 2004. But youth is on the side of Williams, a first-time All-Star who averaged 10.5 assists, third behind only New Orleans’ Chris Paul (10.7) and Phoenix’s Steve Nash (11.0).

SHOOTING GUARDWesley Matthews vs. Arron Afflalo

It’s the undrafted rookie from Marquette against a 2007 late first-round pick from UCLA — though Matthews is bound to spend time guarding Nuggets All-Star

small forward Carmelo Anthony, and Afflalo the same on Williams. The Jazz are confident enough in Matthews’ defense and shooting range that in February they traded then-starting shooting guard Ronnie Brewer to Memphis. Ex-Detroit Piston Afflalo, a legit 3-point threat at 43.4 per-cent, made 75 starts in his first season with Denver.

SMALL FORWARDC.J. Miles vs. Carmelo Anthony

Miles opened the season sidelined by shooting-hand thumb surgery, the result of a training camp mishap. He ended it back in the starting spot he

held last season, though only because of Andrei Kirilenko’s strained calf. He’s streaky, but can get on a roll. Three-time All-Star Anthony’s scoring average of 28.2 per game this season is just shy of his 2006-07 career high, but his shoot-ing (44.3) is down about five percent from his career best.

POWER FORWARDCarlos Boozer vs. Kenyon Martin

Jazz scoring and rebounding leader Boozer missed Utah’s regular-season finale against Phoenix with a strained oblique; Martin has played in just three

games after missing 18 because of his tendinitis-plagued left knee. Boozer’s career-high 55 double-doubles were third-most in the NBA this season, trailing only Zach Randolph of Memphis (57) and Orlando’s Dwight Howard (64). The gritty Martin is a low double-digit scorer, but he’s good for almost 10 boards a game. Health could tip this battle.

CENTERMehmet Okur vs. Nenê

Okur has been bothered by Achilles’ tendinitis late in the season, but the Jazz’s outside-shooting center — a full-time starter for five straight seasons in

Utah — finished strong with a 23-point showing Tuesday at Golden State and a first-quarter stretch Wednesday vs. Phoenix in which he scored 14 straight Jazz points. Nenê, much more of a force inside, has averaged 13-plus points and seven-plus rebounds in both of two seasons after win-ning a fight with testicular cancer.

JAZZ PLAYOFF PREVIEW