The Hawks were rallying and the Nets were trying to stay together. With 2:43 left, Richard Jefferson planted and his right knee went this way and the rest of him went that way. Suddenly, holding off the rally seemed secondary.

But the initial returns were good on all fronts. The Nets hung on and won, dropping Atlanta 113-107, to make them 10-3 when they score 100. And Jefferson finished the game and proclaimed himself OK. At least for last night.

"It wasn't anything too bad. We'll check it out [Sunday], see if it swells up," said Jefferson who scored 21 points. "I just kind of jumped in the air and when I came down, my body was twisted but my leg was kind of planted. I'm fine. Luckily it happened with two minutes to go, I didn't have to put too much more force on it . . . It was sore, but you have to fight through that. I'm anticipating it being OK."

The Nets likely will send Jefferson for an MRI or X-rays, but the forward said he thought that would only occur if there were swelling.