Utah Jazz: Kirilenkos adopt Russian child

LOS ANGELES — The reason for forward Andrei Kirilenko's excused absence from the Jazz has been made public on a Russian sports Web site, sport-express.ru.

According to the site, which quoted Kirilenko, he and his wife Masha returned to their native Russia to adopt a two-month-old baby girl named Alexandra.

The adoption process reportedly has been under way since last February, and was cited by Kirilenko as the reason he did not play for Russia's national team at this past summer's FIBA European championships.

Kirilenko left the Jazz last Wednesday to go back to Russia, and he did not play in Thursday night's preseason win over Portland.

He is not expected to play in today's exhibition game here against the Los Angeles Clippers, but does plan to play when the Jazz face either the Los Angeles Lakers or Charlotte — depending on the outcome of today's games — on Sunday in L.A.

The couple has two other children, both boys.