Rockets' Battier (flu) misses first game of season

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Houston's Shane Battier missed the Rockets' game Saturday night against the Utah Jazz because of flu-like symptoms.

Battier, averaging 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds, had started every game this season for the injury-decimated Rockets.

Utah's Andrei Kirilenko, after playing 31 minutes at Sacramento on Friday night and scoring 16 points, sat out with chronic back spasms. Kirilenko also missed games against Atlanta and Charlotte this week. He has missed nine games this season because of back pain.

Meanwhile, Trevor Ariza missed his third consecutive game for the Rockets because of a left hip injury.