Utah Jazz notes: Ronnie Price sidelined with bruised right wrist

MILWAUKEE — Jazz backup point guard Ronnie Price didn't dress for Friday night's loss at Milwaukee due to a bruised right wrist suffered in Wednesday's win at Detroit.

Price — hurt breaking his fall on a dunk-and-foul play — initially thought he'd be able to go Friday, but could not.

"As soon as it happened, I was at the free-throw line, and I when took my first dribble (there), I felt it," he said. "I knew it was gonna be tough. I had the X-ray at halftime (Wednesday), and everything came back good.

"(But Friday), I can't follow through, can't shoot the ball at all," the Utah Valley product added. "Dribbling and passing and shooting — that's my right hand, my strong hand; it's something that's important."

Rookie No. 3 point Sundiata Gaines filled Price's backup minutes behind starter Deron Williams, who played through Friday's game with a sore left shoulder injured late in Tuesday's win at Chicago.

Price is being called a "game-time decision" by the Jazz for Sunday's visit to Oklahoma City, while starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko, who exited Friday's third quarter with a strained right calf, is listed as "questionable."

Friday marked the 17th game Price has missed this season — 15 with a lingering toe and foot injury, one due to a severely sore shoulder.

"My wife asked me the other day, did I need to drink more milk," he said. "I told her, 'You know what? Maybe so.' "

JEFFERS' FATE: He didn't play against the Bucks, and Friday's game was Jazz rookie Othyus Jeffers' last on his current 10-day contract, which expires Saturday.

But there's likely to be more.

Both Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor and coach Jerry Sloan suggested on Friday there's a good chance Jeffers, promoted last week from Iowa of the NBA Development League, will be offered a second 10-day.

"I would suspect right now, from what we see, we'll probably keep him around," Sloan said. "He's worked really hard, so we'll see what happens.

"We're a team that's pretty well-established if everybody's here, and then he comes in and works and tries to make himself better — you like those kind of people."

Even if Jeffers does get another 10-day, though, there's no guarantee he'll remain for the rest of the season.

The Jazz would have to make that decision when his second short contract expires, and they're still considering adding a veteran big man for their playoff push.