“We just keep winning and I keep playing well, all the other stuff don’t even matter at the end of the day.”KENYON MARTIN

Two years ago, Kenyon Martin might have snapped, slugged somebody and drawn a suspension. Last year, there were other matters on his mind, so he might have just been ornery and mean.

This year, Martin can laugh at the furor swirling around him and the Nets.

“I’m having fun with it. I haven’t done anything to anybody and my name keeps coming up,” said Martin, who insisted his left knee, which flared up in Game 3 and sent shockwaves of concern around the team, is sound and ready to go tonight when the Nets seek to sweep the Knicks out of the playoffs in Game 4 of the first round series at the Garden. “I stay out of trouble, but my name just keeps seeming to come up.”

Martin was thrust into the spotlight when Tim Thomas launched a verbal assault and after Martin responded, again claimed he’d like to fight it out with the Net forward. Thomas also mispronounced Martin’s first name as another sign of ridicule of the player who has dominated the backboards in the series – 43 rebounds, 14.3 average. Martin is trying to be Mr. Mum now.

“I commented on what was said and I’m done with it,” said Martin. “We just keep winning and I keep playing well, all the other stuff don’t even matter at the end of the day.”

Martin was the team hothead in his second season. He racked up six flagrant fouls and was suspended for seven games. Then there were times when you could visibly see him working to keep himself under control.

Roughly one year ago, May 3, his daughter Cierra Reign, was born prematurely. A lengthy hospital stay ensued. Matters such as that are worth worry and concern.

“Last year at this time, my daughter was in the hospital. I think about stuff like that, when I was in a bad mood. My daughter’s in the hospital, she can’t come home, stuff like that,” Martin recalled. “So this is fun now. But when I step on the court, it’s business. But I’m still going to have fun.”

Martin, the No. 1 overall pick in 2000, has blossomed into one of the game’s best all-around forwards, almost a double-double every night. While being in control.

“It won’t distract him [on] the floor. He understands how to separate the two . . . He’s grown on and off the court. He’s been through a lot with the flagrant fouls and stuff early in his career. He’s grown and he’s going in the right direction,” assessed Jason Kidd.

“He shows people it’s not going to bother him. He’s going to go out and dominate on the glass, take good shots and make great defensive plays whether people are talking trash about him or not,” said Richard Jefferson.

“We all grow, learn and mature every day,” said coach Lawrence Frank. “Kenyon and the guys understand how to keep things in perspective and they understand when they get on the floor, they’ve got to compete to give their best effort.”

Martin giving effort has never been a concern. Martin’s balky knee, which knocked him out of 9 of the final 15 games, has been.

“It flared up and he was able to fight through it [in Game 3] but it is always a concern with any injury. He was able to fight through it,” Frank said. “We just kind of keep our fingers crossed.”