Utah Jazz: Sloan showers praise on Milwaukee's Bogut

OKLAHOMA CITY — Andrew Bogut has a huge fan in Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, who heaped praise on the ex-University of Utah center both before and after Bogut's Milwaukee Bucks beat Utah on Friday.

Said Sloan beforehand:

"If you get beat, he's got the ability to block shots. Teams and players know that, so that takes away a little bit of the things that you like to do. We like to try to get the ball inside, and get easy shots, but we know that's a little bit difficult when you play against a team like that.

"The biggest thing (about Milwaukee's success this season) is they've stuck with Bogut, and kept him out there. He's gradually gotten better. Big guys sometimes take a little bit longer than others, and he's a real load to play with now."

Sloan finished Friday's game with long distance-shooting center Mehmet Okur on the floor instead of his usual strategy of deploying backup power forward Paul Millsap — partly because of Millsap's foul trouble, but also because of Bogut. And after the game, the Jazz coach spoke just as highly of the big Aussie.

"I think the biggest thing that makes a big difference is trying to deal with Bogut," he said when asked about the presence of shooting guard John Salmons on Milwaukee's roster. "I mean, he's a wonderful player.

"He gives them the ability (to) force a little higher, get out and play guys a little tougher because he can block shots, and everybody knows that.

"We," the Jazz coach added, "don't have any shot-blocking, so we give up a lot of easy baskets because of that."

KIRILENKO UPDATE: After playing 20 minutes against the Bucks on Friday, Jazz starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko needs to play just 60 more to reach the 19,000 mark for his career.

But Kirilenko exited early in the loss at Milwaukee because of a strained right calf sustained in Friday's third quarter.

He's still being called "questionable" by the team for tonight's game at Oklahoma City, but did seem to be doing better on a travel day Saturday.

Backup point guard Ronnie Price (bruised right wrist) didn't play Friday and remains a game-time decision for tonight.

Kirilenko is sixth on the Jazz's all-time minutes played list behind Karl Malone, John Stockton, Mark Eaton, Darrell Griffith and (1,584 ahead of him) Thurl Bailey.

TOUGH LOSS: He was gratified by the warm ovation during pregame introductions.

But Friday's college-town homecoming in Milwaukee didn't exactly go as planned for Jazz rookie and Marquette product Wesley Matthews, who took the loss rather hard.

"There were a lot of emotions," he said, "but the most prominent one was disappointment. No matter what the venue, I want to win."