PORTLAND, Ore. — The praise was so effusive Kyrylo Fesenko didn't know how to react.

"That's the best I've ever seen him play since he's been alive," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said of Fesenko's 10-point, 10-rebound effort Sunday in Utah's 93-80 preseason win at Portland. "That was kind of a shock. But it was a pleasant shock, because he's big, and he can play around the basket."

Teammates noticed, too.

"He was more active, played within himself. ... He did a great job," point guard Deron Williams said. "Even when he couldn't get the rebound, he was still active enough to get his hands on the ball, and somebody else got the rebound because of it."

"Fes was terrific," added forward Andrei Kirilenko, who worked particularly hard to get the 2007 second-round draft choice involved. "He tried to get open. He tried to post up his guy. ... I haven't seen him play back in Europe, but here it was definitely his best game."

High praise, indeed.

But Fesenko — fighting to stave off a return trip to the NBA Development League's Utah Flash in his second season with the Jazz — was most blown away by that from Sloan.

"You don't hear that from Jerry a lot, so it means a lot to me," the big Ukrainian said. "It means a lot, and it means that I'm doing the right thing. So I cannot stop. I have to keep on going."

Sloan can only hope he does.

"He had a little success, and hopefully he can carry that forward," the Jazz coach said.

As for the best-game-ever assessment, Fesenko didn't go quite so far. But he did essentially concede the point.

"I cannot say 'ever,' but definitely my best in USA," he said. "I hope it's not the last 'best game.' I hope there's gonna be something better."

FLIP SIDE: Then there was Sloan's assessment of 0-for-5 rookie big man Kosta Koufos.

"Now Koufos is a little different story," he said.

"I don't know what that was," Sloan added. "He shot it every time he touched it."

Before the game, Sloan was asked if Koufos — billed as a strong-shooting big — was free to shoot at will.

Evidently not.

"He's got a green light to go rebound. He's got a green light to pick up loose balls, and those things that young guys should do when they step out on the floor," Sloan said.

"He can shoot the ball, and that's one of his strengths," he added. "When he's been open, he's probably been told to shoot it (previously). But we'd like for him to fake to the other guys once in a while, just to let them know they're in the same game."