From Deseret News archives:
Utah Jazz hurt without Okur and Kirilenko
And that was before starting shooting guard Ronnie Brewer sustained a strained right groin.
"We're not as good a team without two of our starters," coach Jerry Sloan said after Utah's 110-103 loss to the Timberwolves. "There's no question about that. Let's be honest about it."
With Okur not traveling due to a stomach flu that also kept him out of Friday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers, the Timberwolves altered the usual way teams defend point guard Deron Williams.
Minnesota cheated their big man guarding power forward Carlos Boozer over toward Williams on pick-and-rolls, and picked up Boozer with the center that normally would stick with the strong outside-shooting Okur.
"It definitely would have helped to have had Memo out there spotting up," Williams said. "He would have took away from some of that help. You know, you can't really help off Memo that much."
The Jazz are calling Okur, who was replaced in Sunday's starting lineup by backup Jarron Collins, "possible" for tonight's game against Washington.
The Jazz originally said Kirilenko left Friday's game against the Clippers due to "muscle spasms" in the calf, but there's more to it than that. Kirilenko on Friday said he has a hematoma, and the bruise is agitating a nerve in the calf.
"It's not that bad," said Kirilenko, who also revealed an MRI exam was performed on the bruised calf. "It's just like one spot on the calf. Like about two weeks ago I hit it. This was like a regular bruise, and didn't feel really like bad. (But) just probably like last three, four days, it feels like one spot is like sharp and sore.
"When you warm up, you can go for like 10 minutes," he added. "Then it just starts, like, sharpening there. I'm short of every step. Defensively I couldn't really like stop the guy, because I don't have extra step."
Kirilenko, wearing what he said is an "uncomfortable" walking boot that makes the injuries look "more serious" that it really is, wasn't sure Sunday when he'd return.
"I have no idea," he said. "That's hard to say. But I don't think it's gonna take long, because you just need to rest it a little bit and let the blood go away.
Recent comments
CJ Miles was impressive tonight. Maybe we are overlooking some real...
Anonymous | March 31, 2008 at 11:56 p.m.
Magnus heer's some stats for you:
Magic made the finals and
won...
Jazzsmack | March 31, 2008 at 8:25 p.m.
I AM ALWAY AMAZED AT SLOANS COMMENTS HOW BAD THE ARE WHEN THEY HAVE...
Anonymous | March 31, 2008 at 7:07 p.m.
- Big Bang machine beats record 7:58 a.m.
- Official: Dubai World's debt its own 7:57 a.m.
- Somali pirates hijack oil tanker 7:56 a.m.
- Iran: UN prompted nuclear plans 7:55 a.m.
- Suspect in police deaths may be dead 7:54 a.m.
- Williams gets record fine for tirade 7:51 a.m.
- Road plowed to Polanski's chalet 7:50 a.m.
- Oil near $76 on demand fears 7:35 a.m.
- Stock futures modestly higher 7:32 a.m.
- Boy shot following traffic stop 7:24 a.m.
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
- BYU is champion of the state
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
- Max Hall issues apology
- Marriage definitions vary widely
- Y. student vanished in China
- Field goals, penalties doomed Utes
- Credit Coug defense for win
- Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
- Cougar defense rose to occasion
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
872 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
477 - Max Hall issues apology
194 - BYU is champion of the state
138 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
119 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
116 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
92 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
90 - Hall's legacy measured today
79 - Utes fall to Seattle U. at home
65
We learned a bit more about the basketball team after this weekend.
There are 14 BYU players from Salt Lake Valley. And there are four Utah...
A couple years ago a friend of mine got 12 games for Christmas for his...
Our community would do well to think carefully about this article.
Doesn't sound like an apology to me. He meant what he said and stood by it.
well said i guess(coming from a true Y fan) maybe a little exagurated. come...
good for george.good job cougs
i wonder why utah or utefans don't have a nervous breakdown after the games...
I watched 2 games Saturday-one Florida/Florida State the other UT/BYU-2...
TO the comment entitled above "To The Previous Posts" You have been...
This is ill-advised on so many sides. BYU, unlike other schools, even...
I don't know about the rest of you, but I watched the game and it was about...


