From Deseret News archives:
Utah Jazz: Kirilenko ready to rejoin team on road trip
"I've been running and shooting and it's been doing very good," Kirilenko said prior to Monday's practice. "It doesn't bother me, no soreness. A little tightness, but no pain."
Kirilenko's status has been upgraded from "doubtful" the previous three games that he missed to "game-time decision."
Kirilenko knows it may take some time be get back completely to where he was, but he's hopeful that he will be able to play tonight.
"I'm happy if I can start playing basketball again because five or six days of missing, you still get out of shape a little bit, out of game shape," he said.
If Kirilenko is able to go, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said he would insert the 6-foot-9 Russian right back into the starting lineup. Third-year swingman C.J. Miles started the two games in Kirilenko's place.
"I want to (play against the Bulls). That's the goal and I think I will be able to," Kirilenko said. "We'll see."
Kirilenko's teammates hope he's able to go, too.
Meanwhile, Jazz backup point guard Ronnie Price said he heard a "pop" in his shoulder during Utah's win over the Nuggets on Saturday night, but the injury wasn't serious. He was back at practice on Monday and is expected to be ready to play tonight.
GOING "HOME": Williams is a Texan, but he worked his way into becoming the No. 3 overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft with three distinguished seasons at the University of Illinois.
He helped the Illini to the national title game during his final collegiate season, and he has fond memories of is time on the Champaign-Urbana campus, about a two-hour drive from Chicago.
"It's definitely one of my favorite places to play," said Williams of his annual trip to Chicago. "The Illini fans will be everywhere. I've got a lot of friends there, so it will definitely be fun to go back to Illinois."
Sloan, whose number has been retired by the Bulls for his outstanding playing career, said "that's been so long ago that I've forgotten how to even get there anymore."
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