Considering he opened his career by playing in 194 consecutive games, Paul Millsap was trying to figure out how banging knees with Kyle Korver could keep him from playing Monday against Indiana.
"It's amazing how something so simple can keep me out of a game," said Millsap, who already was playing on a hyperextended left knee he suffered Dec. 23 before he bruised his right knee Wednesday. "I'm a little shocked about that."
Millsap said he had his right knee drained Wednesday, which helped alleviate the swelling, but he still was unable to run or jump. "It wasn't too comfortable, so I felt like I needed to sit out," Millsap said.
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said he learned around 2 p.m. that Millsap wouldn't be able to play.
Talking about the Jazz's rash of injuries, Sloan said, "It seems like there's something that stabs you in the back when you come to work every day."
Millsap, who was replaced by Andrei Kirilenko in the starting lineup, was unsure whether he would play Wednesday at Oklahoma City. "I've just got to get strength back into it and get the pain out of it and I'll be all right," Millsap said.
Soon to return?
C.J. Miles missed his second game after spraining his right ankle but reported feeling "a lot better" and was hoping to practice today and play on the Jazz's upcoming three-game road trip.
"I hate not playing," Miles said, "especially in the beginning of my career, as much as I sat and watched, that's the last thing I want to do."
Miles did some running and defensive slides at shootaround. He said he expected to start after returning, given Sloan's pledge never to let an injury cost a player a job.
At the same time, Miles was realistic: "I can't come back and not play well and expect to stay there, though, I know that much."
Defending Boozer
With Carlos Boozer set to miss at least four weeks following left knee surgery, Sloan came to his All-Star forward's defense at shootaround, calling it "very unfortunate" that "people start getting on him a little bit here and there."
"There's nothing he can do about injuries," Sloan added, "and he's done everything we've asked him to do that I know of as far as to try to help himself get better, but all I hear is complaints about him not doing anything."
Sloan suggested that Boozer would need practice time "like going through training camp" to get up to speed before playing again.
Briefly
With Millsap out, the Jazz could recall Kyrylo Fesenko , who left with the D-League's Utah Flash on a three-game trip. … Ronnie Price finished with 10 points in starting his second consecutive game in Miles' place. … Deron Williams continues to recover from a sinus infection. "I thought my energy was a lot better. My headaches are gone, my fever is gone, so I feel a lot better," Williams said. "I still got the congestion, but it'll go away."
