Kirilenko becoming a force again for Jazz

Tim Duncan took notice.

Andrei Kirilenko is doing things he didn't do last spring in the playoffs.

"(Kirilenko) did a great job," said the San Antonio Spurs' multi-time All-Star forward.

"He was part of the reason we got some turnovers in a row there.

"On top of that, he goes out and shoots 9-for-10, and a lot of those were not the regular shots we expect from him, being the 19-footers and outside of that."

Utah's once-unhappy forward is as big a part of the Jazz team and its five-game win streak as anyone, and Monday's game may have been even better than the outstanding performance he had Friday night in the win over Sacramento, when he scored his season-high of 25 points, making 6 -of-8 shots and 3-for-4 on threes, or Sunday's effort, when he scored 17.

Monday against the defending NBA champions in EnergySolutions Arena, Kirilenko missed just one shot — including free throws — on the way to 23 points.

"Well, in the beginning of the game, I got air ball from the postup," Kirilenko said.

"It wasn't really shot. I was thinking too much, like, 'Pass or shot, pass or shot.' Finally, I like airballed.'

But it was far more than the offensive game that made Kirilenko really stand out against a team that had him frustrated in the Western Conference Finals last season.

"This may be his best basketball that I've seen him play in a long time because of all the things that he does anyway," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.

Those steals, four of them, made differences, especially since three of them came against Duncan.

"I've been trying to get a gap and help on Duncan," Kirilenko explained, "and a couple times he was in position, he wants to pass, and I just kind of jumped back, and he was uncomfortable position to throw the ball."

Two of them came after Kirilenko had made baskets himself, helping to widen Utah leads.

And perhaps the biggest thing, what he's always been known for, was his defense, particularly against Manu Ginobili.

Ginobili had a game-high 29, but every time Kirilenko guarded other players like Michael Finley, or when he was out of the game, Ginobili was able to take advantage, and Sloan was soon putting Kirilenko back on Ginobili.

"We weren't having much luck (guarding Ginobili)," Sloan said. "He's a tough guy to guard. Andrei is just a little bit longer, and hopefully he can make him shoot up over the top of him.

"Ginobili is a terrific player, a tremendous competitor, and I just thought the more we could make him work coming down the stretch, maybe he'd miss some."

Kirilenko, so tired after the game that he plopped in his locker-room chair rather than standing for interviews as he normally does, said it was give and take all night.