SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Andrei Kirilenko returned to the Utah Jazz lineup after missing the last 11 games while recovering from ankle surgery.
The forward entered the game with 4:21 left in the first quarter and quickly scored a basket and hit two free throws. Since he joined the Jazz eight years ago, Utah is just 34-57 when Kirilenko does not play.Utah was without Mehmet Okur, who was sidelined with the flu. Okur, who averages 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds, missed five games in November to be with his ailing father in Turkey and also sat out three games in late December with a sore back. The Jazz are 3-5 without Okur.
Through 53 games, the Jazz have posted a total of 136 games missed to injury. In contrast, The Jazz only had 34 injury games at this point last season.
Carlos Boozer, who has only played in 12 games this season, originally targeted the Memphis game for his return from left knee surgery but has now backed away from a firm date.
