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Posted: 12:36 PM- The Jazz will be without forward Andrei Kirilenko for tonight's game against Minnesota and are doubtful he will play Friday at Phoenix, although an MRI exam on Kirilenko's injured right hip was negative for any structural damage.
Kirilenko suffered a sprained hip when he was taken down by a Dirk Nowitzki flagrant foul in the first quarter of Monday's victory over Dallas. Nowitzki was suspended one game Wednesday after the foul was upgraded to a second-degree flagrant foul. He is expected to miss the Mavericks' game Thursday night against Houston.
C.J. Miles will start in Kirilenko's place, reprising a now familiar role in which the 20-year-old goes from the team's 11th man to the starting five. Miles is averaging 6.7 points and shooting 51.4 percent in the seven games he has started this season.
He was asked at the Jazz's pregame shootaround Wednesday if he might have the strangest job in the NBA. Miles had played 13 minutes total in the eight games before Kirilenko was injured.
"Of course, I feel that way sometimes," Miles said, adding, "It's different situation than what I'm used to. I've kind of come to a point where I can get a medium where I can stay in good shape and be ready to still play before games with workouts and stuff like that.
"It's different, but whatever gets me playing time, I'm not going to complain about it." Miles has stepped in previously when Ronnie Brewer suffered a severely bruised tailbone and Kirilenko was out with a back injury and was sick.
The Jazz suffered a disappointing 111-100 loss last week to Minnesota, a game in which Al Jefferson, Rashad McCants, Ryan Gomes and Randy Foye combined to score 84 points. The Timberwolves lost to Charlotte 109-89 at home Tuesday night.
The question is whether the Jazz can account for Kirilenko's missing production. Kirilenko stopped by the pregame shootaround but did not talk to reporters.
"I think we have the personnel to do it," Boozer said. "We have some young guys that are anxious to play, you know C.J.'s gnawing at the bit to get out there and obviously Kyle [Korver]. We have guys that'll step in and replace him but it's hard to replace an A.K."