Ailing Okur will miss tonight's Jazz-Blazers game

PORTLAND, Ore. — Jazz starting center Mehmet Okur won't play tonight against the Trail Blazers, and plans to undergo precautionary testing on his sore left shoulder after the team returns to Salt Lake on Saturday.

Okur injured the shoulder when Utah faced Portland last Tuesday, and did not play in Wednesday's loss at Phoenix. Okur today said the shoulder feels much better but he still intends to undergo both X-rays and an MRI on Saturday.

"I really thought it was just bruised," said Okur, an All-Star last season. "Then I just can't move, I can't reach, like, 100 percent. So I just want to make sure everything is OK."

Okur suggested he wasn't sure if he'd able to play when the Jazz face Seattle on Saturday night at EnergySolutions Arena.

"It depends how I feel (Saturday)," Okur said. "I want to be out there. Even tonight. But I can't reach, I can't move up and down. I can't imagine myself with contact inside, pushing each other."

With Okur sidelined, the Jazz on Thursday recalled rookie center Kyrylo Fesenko from the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League. Fesenko took part in Friday morning's shootaround and will dress tonight.

Also tonight, the Jazz will be without backup point guard Jason Hart, who is attending his grandfather's funeral in the Los Angeles area. Ronnie Price will assume Hart's minutes behind starter Deron Williams.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com