Earlier this season it was Karl Malone and Nets coach Byron Scott who got into an argument on the court.  In last night?s Boston-New Jersey encounter, during an altercation which broke out just before half time which lead to the ejection of Celtics center Vitaly Potapenko, Scott ventured out onto the court and Celtics forward Antoine Walker told him to leave.

He's a player and I respect him as a player, but No. 1 Antoine Walker can never tell me to get off the floor. He hasn't done anything in this league. He hasn't proven nothing," Scott said.

Said Walker, "If he says that, that's what he says, I'm not going to get mad about it. I like coach Scott. He was my coach in the All-Star Game. I enjoyed my time with him. I got no problems with him. I wasn't fighting with him, I wasn't fighting with nobody. I was trying to break it up."

The incident involved the Nets Kenyon Martin and rookie Jason Collins along with Boston?s Potapenko.  ?Kenyon Martin rebounded and was fouled by Potapenko, who kicked at the ball. Martin gave a not-so-discreet shove and walked away. But Potapenko wasn't finished. He trailed and gave a shove from behind. Enter Jason Collins, who pushed Potapenko away with a forearm,? writes Fred Kerber of the New York Post.

"I went for the ball and he pushed me. Then I guess he ran behind me. I didn't know what was going on," said Martin. "That's what teammates are supposed to do," Martin added, praising Collins for watching his back.