So don't expect the rookie to be slowed down much by the tendon that's become detached from the bone in his pinkie.

"It was good. It was better than I expected," Millsap said after scoring eight points and gathering a pair of offensive rebounds in 11 minutes against the Spurs. "I can manage."

Well, he's pretty sure he can. After all, "I didn't get hit, so it was OK," Millsap cautioned. "Until you get hit on it, you don't know what it's going to feel like. So it's all right tonight."

Millsap wasn't the only Jazz reserve trying to play though an injury. Gordan Giricek returned to the floor exactly two weeks after suffering bruised ribs in Philadelphia. He got nearly 15 minutes of playing time, and though his shot was clearly affected by the layoff - he was 1-for-6 from the field - Giricek was encouraged by the results.

"My legs were OK. I was pretty quick," Giricek said. "I got bumped a few times, and I felt it. But I expected the pain. It's normal."

The shooting guard intends to play again Sunday, though he may be held out of Saturday's practice as a precaution.

One other member of the Jazz's bench is improving as well. Matt Harpring notified the team that he plans to fly to Houston on Saturday and should be ready to suit up again against the Rockets. Harpring missed the last two games with a stomach virus and dehydration.

With the Jazz's top three reserves in various states of health, it was Utah's offense that suffered. The bench contributed only 10 points for the Jazz, compared to 50 for the Spurs.

Kirilenko OK

Andrei Kirilenko left the game in the third quarter after jamming his thumb while trying to knock a pass away. He had his right hand taped when he returned in the fourth quarter, and played the final nine minutes.

X-rays taken afterward showed no damage or break, and Kirilenko plans to play on Sunday.

Briefly

One other health note: Sloan had an epidural, a procedure to inject a form of anesthesia in an area with persistent pain, performed on his back last week, and said he is feeling much better. "It sounds bad," Sloan said, "but it feels good." . . . Final Four weekend brings back lots of fond memories for Dee Brown - and one really bad one. "That weekend was a gift and a curse," said Brown, who starred alongside Deron Williams on the 2005 national runners-up at Illinois. Brown scored eight points in the Illini's semifinal victory over Louisville, then 12 in the title game, which North Carolina won 75-70. "It was the greatest weekend of my life," Brown said.

pmiller@sltrib.com