Monday, January 18, 2010

Utah Jazz notes: Fesenko out a week with ankle sprain

SALT LAKE CITY — Jazz backup center Kyrylo Fesenko left EnergySolutions Arena wearing a walking boot after spraining his left ankle during Saturday's morning shootaround.

He didn't dress for Saturday night's 112-95 win over Milwaukee, and left in the evening with the aid of crutches.

The sporadically used Fesenko won't travel with the Jazz, either, for their two-game trip that opens tonight at Denver and finishes Wednesday night at San Antonio.

He'll miss at least a full week, and it remains to be seen if he'll be ready to return when the Jazz have their next home game, Jan. 23 vs. New Jersey.

The injury occurred when the 7-foot-1 Ukrainian stepped on teammate Mehmet Okur's foot.

With Fesenko out, reserve big man Kosta Koufos was added to the Jazz's 12-man active roster and played in Saturday's final minute.

Koufos had been inactive for two of Utah's previous past three games, and didn't play (coach's decision) in five of the prior six.

Fesenko has appeared in 26 of 40 games this season, averaging 8.5 minutes, 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds.

WILLIAMS, KIRILENKO BACK: Starting point guard Deron Williams and small forward Andrei Kirilenko both left Thursday's with over Cleveland with injury, but both played Saturday.

"It still hurts," Williams said of his right wrist, which he re-sprained.

Kirilenko hyper-extended his right knee when, he said, he bumped knees with Jawad Williams of the Cavs.

The injury, however, wasn't as bad as Kirilenko initially feared.

"It's a false alarm," he said, "and I'm happy with it, because when it's knee-goes-to-knee it could be three months."

KIRILENKO STARTING: Kirilenko started again Saturday, marking the third straight game he's done that — and giving the Jazz the same opening lineup they had when they lost to Denver in their first game of the season.

Coach Jerry Sloan, however, suggested nothing's etched in stone in regarding the Jazz's starting small forward these days.

Ronnie Brewer opened at small forward when rookie Wesley Matthews was starting at shooting guard for a lengthy stretch, but Brewer moved back to his usual 2 spot when Sloan started back-from-injury C.J. Miles for a stretch.

Kirilenko, though, returned to the starting lineup when Miles missed last Monday's win over Miami with a viral infection — and he's stayed there even after Miles returned.

Asked Saturday if opening with Kirilenko is a permanent move, Sloan was noncommittal.

"I'll see how it goes," he said. "We'll see how we play off the bench, and that sort of thing.

"We've talked about it all year, actually," Sloan said. "And I thought (Kirilenko) would give us more help (as a sub). But some of these guys are playing pretty good off the bench, and I'll use them that way (for now) and see what we get."

Kirilenko finished with 12 points and 5-for-7 field shooting Saturday; Miles scored a team-high 19 off the bench while hitting 8-of-11 from the floor.

WHERE WAS HE? Williams, who was in the training room getting treatment on his wrist and watching the game on TNT when rookie Sundiata Gaines hit his game-winner 3-pointer against Cleveland on Thursday, was asked Saturday if he was tempted to join the celebration on the floor.

"I ran out (to a hallway)," he said, "but I didn't have no shoes on, so I couldn't run much farther than that."

TABLE TALK: With Gaines celebrating Thursday by jumping on the scorer's table and waving his arms in front of the crowd, Sloan was asked Saturday if he ever jumped on a table when he played.

"Don't believe I did," he said.

Not even for a fight?

"I've been on the table for a fight — but I always was on the bottom," Sloan laughed. "I never ended up on top of anybody."