Jazz's Kirilenko expected to play tonight vs. Clippers

LOS ANGELES — Starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko "is a go" for tonight's road game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Jazz said after their morning shootaround Friday.

Kirilenko exited practice early and was sent home Thursday due to what the Jazz called "flu-like symptoms."

The forward from Russia also had said earlier that one of his two young sons was sick.

Kirilenko — who is averaging 11.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.73 blocks and 1.27 steals per game — missed one other game this season, a Feb. 4 win over New Orleans, due to flu-like symptoms.

He also has missed an additional four games due to injury, including three in January because of lower-back inflammation and one in late December due to a strained biceps tendon.

Had Kirilenko been unable to play tonight, when the Northwest Division-leading Jazz go after their fourth straight win, C.J. Miles probably would have started in his place.

The sporadically used reserve swingman has opened each of the five games Kirilenko has missed, plus two others when usual starting shooting guard Ronnie Brewer was out with a bruised tailbone.

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