Kirilenko may not be out too long

One day after the damage was done, early indications seemed to confirm the initial diagnosis that Jazz All-Star forward Andrei Kirilenko sprained but did not severely tear the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

Kirilenko was injured in the second quarter of Utah's Saturday-night loss at San Antonio, when Beno Udrih of the Spurs crashed into his knee at an awkward angle.

The 23-year-old from Russia did not return, and Jazz trainer Gary Briggs at first said it looked Kirilenko would be out at least seven to 10 days with a first-degree MCL sprain.

Kirilenko underwent an MRI exam Sunday, and Jazz basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor suggested Sunday night that it seems there is no reason to believe the ligament is badly torn.

Jazz brass and medical personnel will further discuss the exam results this morning, O'Connor said. O'Connor did, however, add that the Jazz "probably" will make a roster move of some sort today.

"We won't do anything," he said, "until (today), until we finalize everything and sit down with the doctor."

If Kirilenko is placed on the injured list, he would miss a minimum of five games — meaning he would not be eligible to return until a Dec. 10 Delta Center game against Portland.

That is nearly two weeks from when the injury was sustained, which should allow ample time for Kirilenko to heal if the original first-degree sprain diagnosis holds up.

In any event, it seems highly unlikely Kirilenko — the NBA's leader in blocks per game with an average of 4.4, more than one more per outing than Miami's Shaquille O'Neal - would be able to play in Utah's next game, which comes Tuesday night at the Delta Center vs. Phoenix.

O'Connor said there are no plans to make any additions from beyond the Jazz's current 15-man roster: "I don't think we would look outside, for now," he said.

That means either rookie forward Kris Humphries or 7-foot-3 center Aleksandar Radojevic could be added to the 12-man active roster. Both are on the Jazz injured list with supposed knee tendinitis, but neither is really injured.

Also on the injured list is last season's backup point guard, Raul Lopez, who is scheduled to have his recently arthroscopically repaired and twice surgically reconstructed right knee re-examined Tuesday.

Lopez apparently is closing in on being ready to return, but he must be medically cleared before he is good to go.

Also bit by the injury bug Saturday were reserve center Curtis Borchardt and No. 3 point Keith McLeod.

Borchardt did not dress because during warmups he experienced soreness in his previously surgically repaired right foot, which essentially is held together by surgical pins.

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