Tim Buckley writes about Karl Malone's missing Saturday's game against the Kings.

In seasons gone by, Karl Malone would not have thought twice about playing in a game like the Jazz's last Friday.

But not so this season, Malone's 17th in the NBA.

"You know what? It's about being smart," he said Sunday, when he attended but did not participate in the Jazz's first practice since Friday's 117-109 loss to the league-leading Sacramento Kings. "In the past, I would have went out there and played."

Instead, it was determined about an hour before Friday's tip that he would not. The right knee he strained last Tuesday night in Denver had swelled up, so, even though he returned to finish the game against the Nuggets and was able to play again Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers, it was deemed unwise for him to go against the Kings.