Kevin Martin said at this morning's shootaround that he's headed to Los Angeles Monday to get another opinion on his fractured thumb but remains hopeful he'll play before this five-game trip that begins tonight at Utah ends nine days later in Denver.

He won't play at least the first two games, tonight and at Portland on Sunday,

Nikola Pekovic said he'll test his ankle out before tonight's game and decide if he can play limited minutes.

He said he still has pain from bursitis in his ankle, but said his doctor said that's normal and fine as long as the pain doesn't increase.

It hasn't so far after two days of workouts back in Minneapolis on Thursday and Friday, he said.

If he can't play and with Ronny Turiaf out for likely the next three weeks at least, the Wolves will have to do some improvising at center.

They'll have to play Gorgui Dieng more, but just how much Rick Adelman is willing to rely upon remains to be seen. Or they'll have to use Kevin Love and Dante Cunningham there against a Jazz lineup that can go big with Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors, although Adelman wants to limit how much more pounding he asks Love to take since he has been banged up pretty good already.

Also...

Alexey Shved said he's dumping the protective mask and will play without it tonight for the first time in a month.

He might want to keep it on just one more game: It was right here in Utah a month ago when Rudy Gobert whacked him in the face and broke his nose.