As for Kirilenko's ankle, which he sprained Friday, it was in a protective walking boot Saturday. The Jazz call him "day to day" and "doubtful" for Monday, but he seems a bit more optimistic.

"It's not really swollen. It's just, like, sore. It's so tender — in the morning, every touch of the bone was sore," said Kirilenko, who has a history of such injuries. "I feel much less pain than ... my usual sprain. I think two, three, four days. It depends. I don't think it's a long time. I feel like maybe even next game."

MISC.: Jazz backup center Jarron Collins returned Saturday after taking an elbow to the mouth and needing five stitches to close a cut upper lip ... Utah shooting guard C.J. Miles made his first appearance since spending eight games with Idaho of the D-League and finished scoreless with no shots in four minutes ... Jazz point Deron Williams entered Saturday's game with 48 assists in his previous three outings — the most in a three-game span by an NBA player since ex-University of Utah star Andre Miller had 48 in April of 2005 ... There are fears in Oklahoma City that Peja Stojakovic may not return this season from back surgery, but the Hornets swingman expressed hope in a halftime television interview.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com