Utah Jazz: Paul Millsap out for tonight's game

SALT LAKE CITY — A man who hates missing basketball games more than about anything will be in that situation tonight.

Power forward Paul Millsap will sit out the Utah Jazz's game against the Atlanta Hawks because of a bruised right hip that continues to hurt him two days after it was injured.

"It's very sore, really sore," Millsap said after today's shootaround. "(It's) hard to put weight on it. We'll see what happens."

Big man Francisco Elson will start in Millsap's place.

The Jazz will also again be without Mehmet Okur, who has been ruled out of this one due to his strained lower back. He said it's getting "better" but not good enough to give playing a go yet after missing the three previous games.

Millsap warmed up during the morning prep session and said he'll see how his hip responds before game time, but he didn't seem too sound confident that he'll play.

"It is affecting all of (my movement)," Millsap said. "I doubt if I can get up and down the court like I want to. I can't really jump off it. My whole right side just really don't work right now."

Millsap's hip has bothered him since he took a charge Monday night and he crashed into the floor. He admitted it's caused him more pain than any other of the bumps and bruises he's suffered throughout the season.

"Normally," he said, "I try to fight through things like this."

Reminiscent of a former injury-ignoring Jazz power forward — that'd be Karl Malone, of course — Millsap has only missed six games in his NBA career that's going on five seasons now.

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