Kirilenko's injury leaves him doubtful

SAN ANTONIO — Leaning on a single crutch, Andrei Kirilenko said he could barely feel his tightly wrapped right knee.

Good thing.

The Jazz's All-Star forward made an early exit from Utah's loss to San Antonio on Saturday night, all because of a sprain resulting from an ugly-looking collision.

"It was kind of one of those football-knee things, when a guy falls in to you," Jazz trainer Gary Briggs said. "The good news is was when (a doctor) tested him the right knee wasn't any looser than his left knee — so, it's probably just a sprain."

Initial diagnosis: sprained medial collateral ligament, first-degree sprain (the least serious of three degrees); out 7-to-10 days, leaving Kirilenko doubtful at best for the Jazz's back-to-back games Tuesday at the Delta Center vs. Phoenix and Wednesday at Seattle.

An MRI exam likely will be performed today, after the Jazz return home from their one-game trip, Briggs said.

Kirilenko went down with nine minutes and eight seconds remaining in Saturday's second half, after Jazz point guard Howard Eisley accidentally shoved San Antonio's Beno Udrih into him.

Kirilenko stayed on the floor for several moments, then was helped to the visitor's lockerroom at SBC Center.

"I don't think it's so (bad), but it will take some time," he said. "It feels unstable when I walk, side-to-side. Straight is not bad."

BORCHARDT NO-GO: The Jazz played Saturday without reserve center Curtis Borchardt, who sat out due to soreness in his surgically repaired right foot.

Borchardt warmed up Saturday, but the decision not to go was made shortly prior to tipoff: "He warmed up, kind of got there," Briggs said, "then got sore the more he warmed up, to where he couldn't push off."

A precautionary CT Scan likely will be performed today, Briggs said.

Borchardt did not play (coach's decision) in one other game this season, but this is the first time this season he has not dressed due to the foot.

The 7-foot Stanford product missed all of what would have been his rookie 2002-03 season due to pin replacement surgery in the foot, which was initially stress-fractured while he was playing in college. He played just 16 games last season, battling both a broken finger and a broken wrist.

Prior to the start of this season, the Jazz picked up next season's option-year on Borchardt's rookie contract.