Injury bug takes bite out of Jazz

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Dec 12, 2007 | by Tim Buckley Deseret Morning News

The Jazz had some injury to go with the insult of their 97-89 loss to Portland on Tuesday night.

Backup center Jarron Collins exited with seven-and-a-half minutes to go in the final quarter and took a couple stitches to close a cut over his right eyebrow.

Starting center Mehmet Okur was struck on the left shoulder by Trail Blazers big man Joel Przybilla with 4:47 remaining in the third quarter and left with a strained trapezius -- the large muscle spanning the neck, shoulder and back.

He sat with a pad over the shoulder for the rest of the night.

And starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko was struck on the bridge of the nose after bumping heads with Portland's Channing Frye.

Kirilenko said he was disoriented for a few moments, but later was prepared to return. None of the three, however, re-entered the game after getting hurt.

All three, though, will be available to play when the Jazz visit Phoenix tonight, the Jazz announced after Tuesday's loss.

WHO SAID IT? The quote: "Our defense isn't very good. We'll have to be a better defensive team when we play better teams or they'll run all over us."

Who said it?

No, it was not coach Jerry Sloan talking about his Jazz -- though it easily could have been.

Rather, it was ex-Jazz shooting guard Raja Bell talking to the Arizona Republic about his Suns -- Utah's opponent tonight in the back set of a back-to-back set. High-scoring Phoenix lost two straight and yielded 100-plus points in each of its last nine outings.

BALLOT STUFFING? Fans at Tuesday's game who filled out and submitted at least 10 ballots for the upcoming NBA All-Star Game were rewarded with a toy mini-car from Chevron.

MISC.: C.J. Miles was first off the bench behind Ronnie Brewer at shooting guard, but after shooting 2-of-7 from the field in first- half 10 minutes he was benched in the second half and replaced by former backup regular Gordan Giricek. ... Besides out-for-the- season No. 1 overall draft choice Greg Oden (knee surgery), Portland also was without would-be starting big man LaMarcus Aldridge on Tuesday due to a foot injury. Frye replaced Aldridge in the starting lineup ... Jazz rookies Morris Almond and Kyrylo Fesenko are both still assigned to the NBA Development, but with the Utah Flash off the two watched Tuesday's NBA game from behind the Jazz bench ... In the crowd, eating popcorn: Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen, he of about $18 billion in net worth ... Tonight's late-starting game at Phoenix will be carried by ESPN, meaning Sloan must again wear a microphone for the national cable network's coverage of the game.

E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com