Utah Jazz: Shot or surgery? Decision looms on Kirilenko's ailing ankle

In-season surgery remains an option for Jazz sixth man Andrei Kirilenko, who received a third cortisone shot in his ailing right foot/ankle Monday.

Kirilenko has been bothered by a bone fragment caught between two bones in the ankle.

He has missed five games since early December because of the injury, and will miss a fourth straight game tonight when the Jazz play host to the San Antonio Spurs.

Kirilenko had hoped to put off surgery until the offseason, but now he's not sure it can wait.

A decision is expected by the end of the week, and perhaps sooner, both Kirilenko and Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said this morning.

"We re-injected yesterday," Kirilenko said, "and will see in a couple days how it feels. If not (better), I might need surgery."

Also today, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said that after much discussion he has decided not to make a change in his starting lineup of point guard Deron Williams, shooting guard C.J. Miles, small forward Ronnie Brewer, power forward Paul Millsap and center Mehmet Okur.

Sloan had acknowledged after Sunday's loss at Denver — Utah's third straight defeat — that moving Miles to the bench was an option that needed to be considered.

E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com