PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Andrei Kirilenko had 15 points and five assists, and the Utah Jazz beat the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 93-80 in a preseason game Sunday.
With the exception of center Greg Oden, the Blazers' expected starters for the season rested or were out because of injuries.2008-09 NBA previews
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Carlos Boozer played in his first exhibition game for the Jazz, who led by as many as 19 points. He missed the first two preseason contests due to a sore left hamstring.
Boozer had 12 points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes.
"I was OK, I was just giving it some rest," Boozer said. "We just wanted to err on the side of caution."
The teams stayed close in the first half, but the Jazz began to pull away in the second with a 10-2 run capped by Deron Williams' layup and free throw that put Utah up 68-57.
The Jazz extended the lead to 81-65 on Kyle Korver's 3-pointer. Korver finished with 14 points, and Kyrylo Fesenko had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
"You can't get excited about this game," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "Their best team was sitting on the bench."
The Blazers continued to condition Oden, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft who sat out last season after microfracture knee surgery.
Oden has been on a plan that has him playing about 20 minutes a game during the preseason. On Sunday, the 7-foot center had six points and six rebounds in 20 minutes.
Because of injuries, the Blazers started Luke Jackson at guard. Jackson, who grew up in Creswell, Ore., and played at Oregon, is one of Portland's free-agent signees hoping to make the regular-season roster.
Jackson had six points. Nicolas Batum led the Blazers with 16.
"Overall, I thought we did a pretty good job of hanging with them, given the players and the combinations we played," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said.
The Blazers did not play All-Star Brandon Roy, who had arthroscopic knee surgery in August. Portland has purposely limited him in the preseason.
The Blazers rested LaMarcus Aldridge, while Spanish Olympian Rudy Fernandez continued to nurse a left ankle he sprained in Portland's 110-95 preseason loss to Golden State last Wednesday.
Steve Blake, expected to be the team's starting point guard, was out with a strained left hamstring. Forward Martell Webster fractured a bone in his foot in the exhibition opener and will be out at least eight weeks.
"All of these things are going to happen, so you have to prepare for it," Oden said. "It's a good thing it's the preseason."
Matt Harpring was out for the Jazz for the third exhibition game as he continues to rehab his right ankle after surgery to remove bone spurs.
