With Carlos Boozer still sidelined after knee surgery and Andrei Kirilenko ruled out against the Rockets because of a sore ankle, the Jazz's frontcourt was uncomfortably thin against Houston. That's why they considered putting the 7-foot-1, 300-pound Fesenko on a plane and flying him to Texas.

"We talked about it a little bit [but] didn't do it," coach Jerry Sloan said. "I think he's starting to play well down there and having some success. I think getting an opportunity to play Basketball right now is something he needs in order to get in better condition."

In the Flash's 113-85 win over the Los Angeles D-Fenders on Tuesday night, Fesenko finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

"The big thing with him is getting in condition and learning how to play and getting an opportunity to play," Sloan said. "Here, I don't know how much he would play. Five minutes? Ten minutes? Twenty minutes? We just thought, right now, this was the best thing."

High

praise

Before the game, Houston coach Rick Adelman told reporters that Sloan was doing the best job of his career with the injury-plagued Jazz.

Told of Adelman's analysis, Sloan shook his head.

"Is that right?" he said. "I don't know about that. I've hurt a lot of guys. We can't keep them healthy. [But] he's in the same boat. I don't know what he's doing over there, either."

The Rockets played the Jazz without All-Star Tracy McGrady (knee) and Ron Artest (ankle).

"I played with Rick" in Chicago, Sloan said. "I have great admiration for him. He's a good guy."

When it was suggested Adelman was "buttering up" Sloan, he said, "He always does that, then he kicks my [butt]. But, you know, that makes me feel better."

Laughing, Sloan added, "That's the way it is with these young guys. See, he's a young guy. He's a lot younger than me. About two years."

A.K. out

Andrei Kirilenko missed his fifth game of the season because of his sore ankle.

He had a cortisone shot Tuesday night and, from past experience, knew the first day after "would be the worst."

Before the Jazz-Rockets game, Kirilenko said his ankle "was on fire," but he was hopeful of playing Saturday night against Cleveland. According to Kirilenko, doctors told him his second cortisone shot since early December will help his ankle "for about a month," meaning, "I have three or four shots to go" this season.

Rocket record

Houston had won five of its previous six games before facing Utah.

The Rockets' only loss during that stretch was a 105-100 heartbreaker against the Lakers, who got 13 fourth-quarter points from Kobe Bryant . He hit a decisive shot -- a 27-foot three-pointer -- with 27.4 seconds remaining and Houston's Shane Battier in his face.

luhm@sltrib.com

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