Utah Jazz notebook: Mehmet Okur hopes to play before playoffs start

NEW ORLEANS — He didn't play in Friday night's win at New Orleans.

But starting center Mehmet Okur — much like starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko, who also sat out Friday — wants to play in one or both of the Jazz's two final regular season games next week, Tuesday night at Golden State and Wednesday night at home against Phoenix.

"I'm glad we have three days (off) after (Friday's) game," Okur said, "and we're going to keep doing what we've been doing, treatment, and hopefully I'll be OK next game."

Okur exited Wednesday night's loss at Houston in the third quarter due to tendinitis in his left Achilles. He shot free throws and walked through the Jazz's shootaround Friday morning, but that's about it.

Okur said the Achilles felt "better" Friday, but added two caveats: "Without running, without jumping."

Backup center Kyrylo Fesenko, who missed Utah's previous two games with a sore throat, did dress Friday and played three scoreless minutes.

But Jazz coach Jerry Sloan instead opted to start backup power forward Paul Millsap alongside power forward Carlos Boozer on Friday, mostly because Fesenko hadn't "been on the floor for five or six days."

And rather than play Fesenko extensively, Sloan — with Boozer in foul trouble — instead turned to seldom-used big man Kosta Koufos for 16 important minutes.

"(Assistant coach) Phil (Johnson) mentioned, 'Let's put the other kid in for a little bit,' " Sloan said, "and he played pretty well."

"We definitely were happy," Jazz point guard Deron William added, "with the way Kosta played."

Kirilenko, as expected, missed his 13th game of Utah's last 15 due to his strained left calf and backup C.J. Miles again started in his place.

Okur was asked Friday if he was as worried about the Achilles as he was about a hamstring injury that hampered him around this time late late season and throughout the playoffs.

"I can't really judge right now," he said.

"Like I said, (it's) just a lot better (Friday)," Okur added. "And we don't want to push it running, jumping, right now. We just want to take it seriously, of course, and get treatment, and hopefully I'll be OK before playoffs starts."