Mehmet Okur returned to the Jazz on Monday after spending last week in Turkey with his critically ill father but won't play in tonight's game against Phoenix.

Okur had been bothered by a strained lower back and said the 15-hour flight from Istanbul aggravated the injury. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan will start Jarron Collins in place of Okur against the Suns and Shaquille O'Neal.

Deron Williams also will sit out the game as he continues to recover from a sprained left ankle. Andrei Kirilenko (sprained right index finger) and Matt Harpring (ankle rehab) both said they will be available to play.

Okur's father, Abdullah, was hospitalized two weeks ago following an epileptic seizure and was admitted to an intensive-care unit. He underwent two surgeries - - a tracheotomy and gastrostomy, the insertion of a feeding tube - - and regained consciousness while his son visited.

"He wasn't able to realize, recognize me because he was kind of half sleep, half [awake]," Okur said, "because he's been taking medicine and everything."

Even though his father underwent the second of the two surgeries Monday, Okur felt the need to rejoin the team.

"Life still go on," Okur said, "and I've got to look forward and just pray for him and hopefully everything's going to be all right."

Rookie Kosta Koufos started in Okur's place on the Jazz's road trip last week, but Sloan said he prefered Collins' experience against O'Neal. Collins has been nursing a right elbow injury and saw his first action of the season Saturday against Cleveland.

"I've played against him for the past couple years," Collins said, "and bodied up with him and see if I can go out there and just frustrate him a little bit, just try and get him off to a slow start. If I can pick up some fouls against him, I will."

rsiler@sltrib.com