SACRAMENTO – Richard Jefferson was looking forward to this weekend for some time. There was the game here for the Nets against fellow Arizona product Mike Bibby. Then tonight in Oakland, the Nets face the Warriors and former Wildcat teammate Gilbert Arenas plus rookie stud Jason Richardson, the guy the Nets eyed going into the draft.
Jefferson hadn’t planned on watching the game in street clothes.
“I’ve got an Arizona teammate, Bibby, playing here. We’re going to play Gilbert Arenas and company up there so I’m bummed I can’t contribute. But I’ll be back,” said Jefferson, who sat last night’s game with the Kings – and who might not be back until next Saturday – because of a sprained left knee.
“And I was looking forward to playing against him [Richardson] and Troy Murphy [of the Warriors].”
While Jefferson was out, Kerry Kittles, also injured in Los Angeles when he pulled a muscle in his side, came back and scored 14 points, 12 of them in the first half.
Jefferson expects to be back Tuesday at home against Chicago, but if he doesn’t make it then, look for him when the Nets play Saturday, at home against Boston. Unless an MRI tomorrow gives bad news.
“I feel fine,” Jefferson insisted. “I’ll probably get an MRI on Monday. They don’t think it’s anything other than a sprain because there’s no swelling. They said I probably sprained it so it’s precautionary.”
Kittles said the side bothered him “a little bit” but “I managed, although I could feel it.”
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Kenyon Martin yells and stares and growls during games.
“That’s just me being Kenyon,” he said, noting he was always that emotional. At least on the court.
“Off the court, he is a lot more laid back. On the court, he’s fiery and aggressive. Watching him on the bus and on the plane, he is laid back, almost like a lazy, ‘I’m just here’ attitude,” coach Byron Scott said.
“Sometimes, Kenyon gets in his own world. He gets kind of angry out there,” Keith Van Horn said.
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Van Horn had his second straight double-double. He scored 34 points with 12 rebounds against the Clippers. … Nets had 50-45 rebound edge. … Kings only committed nine turnovers. … Bibby scored 16 for Kings. … Nets ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^shot .446, Kings .414.
