Kirilenko, Collins sit trip out

PHOENIX — The Jazz opened their annual pre-Christmas road trip Wednesday in Phoenix with two notable absentees.

All-Star forward Andrei Kirilenko did not travel, as expected.

He remains in Salt Lake City, waiting for his partially torn medial collateral knee ligament to heal so he can begin rehab sometime after the Jazz return from their five-game trip.

Also absent is big man Jarron Collins, who remains sidelined with what the Jazz are calling a "low-grade sprain" of the medial collateral ligament on his right knee.

The Jazz did not formally establish a timetable for Collins' return when he was hurt last Friday night, but before the team left without him Collins said he will be not be ready to play again until sometime in the new year.

"But it's getting better," said Collins, who blew out the same knee two seasons ago, but this time did not tear his anterior cruciate ligament.

Backup center Curtis Borchardt was activated last Sunday, in time for the game after Collins went down.

Wednesday, Borchardt suggested the timing was virtually perfect for him to return from a stint on the injured list due to soreness and swelling in his surgically repaired foot.

"I was about ready anyway," Borchardt said before the Jazz's late-starting game against the Suns.

Utah continues its trip with games Friday in Boston, Sunday in New York, Monday in Philadelphia and Wednesday in Toronto.

DEION SPEAKS: It seems everyone has a opinion on the Karl Malone/Kobe Bryant saga, in which Bryant has accused ex-Jazz star Malone of making a pass at his wife.

Even Deion Sanders.

That's right, the NFL's Deion Sanders.

"Not only is your house not in order because of the situation that (Bryant) went through with the infidelity last year, but now you're placing Karl Malone in a position where now his home is under subjection right now because of these allegations," Sanders said earlier this week on Sporting News Radio's James Brown Show, according to FoxSports.com. "It's unbelievable. I can't even believe they would even allow that to come out in the media to attack Karl like that.

"Karl is a proven veteran," Sanders added. "He's an older gentleman . . . I mean, what does Karl want with your woman? Karl has a daughter as old as Kobe's wife. So, let's be honest, that was really ridiculous."