Utah Jazz: Miles back in starting lineup

OAKLAND, Calif. — Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has said often he does not believe anyone should lose their job status because of injury or illness.

So usual starting small forward C.J. Miles was back in the opening lineup for Sunday night's 116-96 loss at Golden State.

Miles, though, said beforehand he would have understood had Sloan stuck with the same lineup he used for the two games he missed due to bronchitis — victories Thursday night over Dallas and Friday night at Sacramento.

That would be the one with usual backup shooting guard Kyle Korver starting, and usual starting off-guard Ronnie Brewer opening in Miles' 3 spot.

"It's good to know (Sloan's philosophy)," Miles said. "But, at the same time, that's not anything I worry about.

"He's going to make the decision that's best for the team, so ... if he decides I wasn't going to start I wouldn't be mad about it, because they played well when I was out. So they deserve it just as much as I do."

Miles, whom Jazz coaches had considered moving to the bench a short time before he took ill, also suggested he isn't feeling any added pressure to perform now that he's back.

"I'm just going to play hard and play aggressive when the chance is given to me, and just stay like I was," he said. "I'm not going to try to do anything more than what I've been doing. They won two games without me, so what do I need to come in and mess it up for?"

As for his allergy-spurred illness, the 21-year-old suggested it is something he has battled since he was a young child.

"I had the breathing machine, the humidifier, everything," he said. "It was pretty bad, so bad the doctors thought I had asthma when I little."

Now, Miles added, "It usually only hits me when the weather starts to change."

Miles scored 10 but hit just 3-of-8 from the field Sunday, and hinted he's not really fully healthy.

"The biggest thing," he said, "is to get my energy level back — all the way back."

NO KNIGHT, NO FESENKO: The Jazz played Sunday without two usual subs, backup point guard Brevin Knight and reserve center Kyrylo Fesenko.

Fesenko sat with what the Jazz were calling a "stomach virus."

Knight, who missed the second half of last Thursday's victory over Dallas because of an inflamed left thumb, was out because of a left quadriceps muscle contusion sustained in Friday at Sacramento.

Usual No. 3 point Ronnie Price assumed Knight's backup minutes, and afterward said he "tweaked" his lower back in the game's final few seconds.

Also Sunday, as expected, power forward Carlos Boozer (arthroscopic knee surgery) missed a 40th straight game and small forward Andrei Kirilenko (ankle surgery) missed his 10th in a row.