When Millsap collided with Milwaukee's Michael Redd and crumpled to the floor in the first quarter of the Bucks' 94-86 win over Utah on Tuesday night, visions of a much longer absence flashed through his mind.

"You always think the worst when it happens," Millsap said. "But lucky for me, it isn't as bad as it could have been."

Millsap did not play in Friday night's game against Dallas. He could miss as many as three more games, if estimates turn out to be accurate.

Asked what he planned to do during his unanticipated down-time, Millsap said: "Heal, you know. It's going to take a few days. They say seven to 10 days, depending on how I feel. But hopefully it will be sooner than that."

After colliding with Redd, Millsap was helped to the locker room. He returned to the game in the third quarter and ended up playing the entire second half.

Did he make his knee injury worse by trying to help his already short-handed teammates?

"I don't think so," Millsap said. "It actually felt good when I was out there running around. When I sat down is when it stiffened up."

Millsap had played in 194 straight games since being drafted by the Jazz in 2006. His miss against Dallas was the first of his career.

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Sidelined

Carlos Boozer and Memo Okur also missed the game against the Mavericks.

Boozer has been sidelined since Nov. 21 with a strained quad and sore knee. Okur will miss his second straight game because of back spasms.

After the Dallas game, neither Boozer nor Okur accompanied the Jazz to Houston, where Utah plays the Rockets tonight.

Boozer will undergo an MRI exam on Monday in Los Angeles.

According to Jazz spokesperson Jonathan Rinehart , dye will be injected into Boozer's joint so doctors can get a more accurate picture of his condition.

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Briefly

Jazz center Jarron Collins dressed for the first time since Nov. 15. He has been sidelined with an inflamed right elbow. ... Dallas played in Portland on Christmas night. After a 102-94 win over the Blazers and a weather-delayed flight, the Mavs got to their hotel in Salt Lake City at 4:30 a.m. Asked before tipoff if his team might be tired against the Jazz, coach Rick Carlisle said, "We're fine." ... With Boozer, Okur and Millsap out, Andrei Kirilenko made his first start of the season and rookie Kosta Koufos started for the sixth time in his career.

luhm@sltrib.com