Utah's Kirilenko returns against Bulls after missing 3 games with sprained hip

CHICAGO (AP) -- Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko was back in the starting lineup against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday after missing three games with a sprained right hip.

Kirilenko was injured in the first quarter of a home game against Dallas on March 3, when the Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki took him down rather than concede an open layup. Nowitzki came down hard with his right arm and got Kirilenko on the shoulder and neck.

"I'm feeling pretty good," said Kirilenko, who landed on his back and stayed on the floor for several minutes. "The hip doesn't bother me."

Fans booed and called for an ejection, but Nowitzki got a flagrant foul and a one-game suspension. Kirilenko did not think he was trying to hurt him and said the Mavericks' superstar apologized.

"I think Dirk was out of balance," Kirilenko said.

While Kirilenko returned, the Bulls again were missing backup guard Chris Duhon for the second straight game after he missed the shootaround Sunday at Detroit.

Duhon, who attended the Duke-North Carolina game the previous night, was in uniform against the Pistons even though he got benched and fined. Management disciplined him again on Monday for flip comments he made after that game, and he was on the inactive list for Tuesday's game.

"That's a coach's decision," interim coach Jim Boylan said when asked if he's still being punished for missing the shootaround.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-03-11-08 1906MDT

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