Kirilenko pauses to think about Olympics

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Apr 28, 2008 | by Tim Buckley Deseret News

With the Jazz just one victory over Houston away from advancing to the second round of the ongoing NBA playoffs, international basketball is not exactly foremost on Andrei Kirilenko's mind.

But after pools were drawn over the weekend for this August's Summer Olympics, the Jazz small forward -- star of the Russian national team -- didn't mind talking globally.

"For everybody," Kirilenko said, "it was a surprise that we won the European championships. So I wouldn't say we are favorites, but we will fight."

Russia was pooled into preliminary-round Group A along with Lithuania, defending Olympic-champion Argentina, Australia, Iran and one to-be-determined qualifier.

The United States is in Group B with host China, Africa zone- champion Angola, defending IBA world champ Spain and two to-be- determined qualifiers.

That means a possible medal-round meeting between Russia and Team USA, which is likely to feature Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer and may include point guard Deron Williams as well.

U.S. team members will be named June 30.

The Americans will be expected by some to medal, but Kirilenko suggested it's a wide-open tourney.

"We'll try to play as hard as possible and win it," he said.

"I think Argentina is a pretty good team, I think Spain is a pretty good team, I think Lithuania is a pretty good team," Kirilenko added. "So you can't really think one team is going to be better, or 'the favorite."'

LINE DANCE: FIBA -- governing body for international basketball, including the Olympics -- plans some changes.

Starting after the 2010 world championships, the 3-point line will move back for international play and the 3-second lane will switch from its traditional trapezoid shape (in place since the 1950s) to an NBA-style rectangle.

The long-distance line initially will go from 20-feet, 6.1 inches to 22 feet, 1.7 inches -- with further increases to eventual NBA distance (23 feet, 9 inches) likely phased in over the next 10 years.

The changes were inspired, according to FIBA, "by the attempt to further unify all existing game rules and to have, in the future, only one set of rules for the game of basketball worldwide."

Kirilenko's reaction?

"I don't really care," he said. "You get used to playing with different kind of rules."

Besides, Kirilenko added, "it's just, like, lines."

LIVINGSTON WINS, RETIRES: Ex-Jazz guard Randy Livingston helped lead Idaho to the 2008 NBA Development League championship last Friday night in Boise, then announced his retirement after 12 seasons as a pro.

"This is the most amazing way to end," Livingston, who played 17 games for the Jazz late in the 2004-05 season, was quoted as saying by NBA.com after the Stampede beat Austin 108-101 in Game 3 of the D- League's title series.

"I remember Jerome Bettis walked out a Super Bowl champion," he added. "Any championship is one you relish, one you savor."

Livingston seemed to be headed for NBA superstardom, but a devastating knee injury reduced the ex-Louisiana State star to a journeyman's career of 203 games for 10 NBA teams over 11 seasons.

This was the first season since 1996-97 that Livingston did not play in the NBA. He is likely to pursue a career in coaching.

OW: Williams needed ice for his left elbow near the end of the first half in Saturday's Game 3 of the Jazz-Rockets series, and he was hobbling a bit in the second half.

"I felt good until (Rockets point) Rafer (Alston) kneed me in the back of my calf," the Jazz point said. "You know, this is playoffs, man. You've got to try to fight through it."

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan agreed.

"The guy's playing with pain," Sloan said when asked about Williams' various bumps, bruises and sprains. "Everybody plays with pain this stage of the season, for the most part. (But) if you're gonna play, you're gonna play."

HE SAID IT: Williams, when asked about teammate Mehmet Okur's game-altering rebound of his late free-throw miss: "I owe Memo something. You know -- buy him a car or something."

HE SAID IT II: Sloan, asked to discuss Okur's 18 rebounds Saturday: "I can talk about the one that he got there at the end. That was a big rebound."

TV TALK: Tuesday's Jazz-Rockets Game 5 in Houston, scheduled for a 7:30 start, has been relegated to national cable coverage on NBA TV so TNT can instead air Game 5 of both the Dallas-New Orleans and the Phoenix-San Antonio series.

KJZZ-TV will air the game locally as well.

E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com