The injury has since cost Brewer two games and possibly a third. He sat out practice Thursday and is questionable to play tonight against San Antonio. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said he likely will start Ronnie Price again if Brewer cannot play.

"If you try to rush back, you definitely can get hurt,'' Brewer said, "and instead of being out one or two games, it could be some weeks. I'm trying to rest it a little bit, make sure I'm 100 percent for when I come back."

Four days after the injury, Brewer said the swelling has decreased, the muscle has relaxed and he is moving around better.

Kirilenko's return

Andrei Kirilenko said he felt great in his return Wednesday after missing two games with a bruised calf.

Kirilenko finished with 13 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes and was engaged from the start, scoring inside, blocking a shot and hitting Deron Williams for a layup.

"We need all the help we can get from everybody,'' Sloan said. "It's not a popularity contest right now. It's more like, 'This is who we are and we've got to prove what we can do or we can't do.' "

Slap happy

The Jazz ran a second defender at Tim Duncan and took every opportunity to slap the ball out of the Spurs center's hands in their Jan. 28 victory. Duncan finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds, but also a season-high seven turnovers.

"Those guys, I think it's more something that they do rather than something we do,'' Sloan said. "You play with great players, you'll steal a ball, make them turn it over maybe once in a while. In the long haul, they usually come out on top."

Three-for-all

The Jazz were averaging a league-low 3.7 made three-pointers a game when they traded for Kyle Korver on Dec. 29. Now they're up to 4.9 and have combined to hit 27 in their last two games combined.

"We don't have a single play for a three,'' Korver said after Wednesday's game. "We don't have one. Guys have been shooting the ball well. We've got some guys that are really good at penetrating and sucking [defenders] in.

"Guys have been hot. When they're going in, it's a good thing, and Coach doesn't say anything. So we'll try to keep on making them."

Early-bird special

Tonight's game will start an hour earlier than usual at 6 p.m. to accommodate an ESPN broadcast.

rsiler@sltrib.com

Spurs at Jazz

Where: EnergySolutions Arena

Tipoff: Today, 6 p.m.

TV: KJZZ, ESPN

Radio: 1320 AM, 98.7 FM

Records: Jazz 50-26; San Antonio 52-23

Last meeting: Jazz 97-91, Jan. 28

Line: Jazz by 3 1/2

About the Jazz: They played one of their most complete games of the season in beating San Antonio back in January. They harrassed Tim Duncan into seven turnovers, built a 14-point lead in the second half and held on late as Kyle Korver hit a three-pointer with 48.1 seconds left.

About the Spurs: They are riding an eight-game winning streak highlighted by victories over Dallas, Orlando, Houston and Golden State. . . . Tony Parker scored just five points and had four turnovers against the Jazz in January before sitting out three weeks with an ankle injury. Brent Barry (calf) and Robert Horry (knee) are nursing injuries.