EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) While Karl Malone was relieved to find out he didn't break his shooting hand when he accidentally struck Los Angeles Lakers teammate Rick Fox in the mouth, he made another discovery - the hand had been broken before.

That information left the second-leading career scorer in NBA history believing he played the 2001-02 season with the previous injury.

X-rays of Malone's hand following Sunday night's 91-84 victory over the Utah Jazz were negative, but that was only part of the story.

``It showed that my hand had been broken before - I didn't know it,'' Malone said.

Looking back, though, the 40-year-old star didn't sound surprised.

``I couldn't shake, do a firm handshake,'' Malone said of two years ago, when he averaged 22.4 points while playing in 80 of a possible 82 games for the Jazz.

``You have injuries that bother you when you're not playing,'' he said. ``When that horn blows, you don't feel it.''

Malone had 19 points and 13 rebounds Sunday night in his first game ever against Utah. He played 18 seasons for the Jazz before joining the Lakers as a free agent last summer.

Playing his ninth game since being sidelined nearly three months with a torn knee ligament - the first serious injury of his NBA career - Malone was on the floor at the end despite banging the knee he injured in December; injuring his shooting hand, and getting whacked in the head.

He said he wasn't aware of his hand injury until the final minutes.

``Kind of amazing - during the game, you don't feel it,'' he said. ``I looked down and it was swollen. I think Rick was just in the wrong place. He's fine, I think.''

Malone remembers going for a rebound in the third quarter when he accidentally hit Fox in the face.

``That was unfortunate, that my head got in the way of his fist,'' Fox said with a grin. ``I was just passing through the lane looking to box somebody out. It's a little sore today.''

With that, Fox called out to Malone, saying: ``Karl, my jaw broke your hand? I've got a tough chin.''

Malone said he felt fine although his hand was still a bit swollen Monday. He said he planned to see a private physician for a second opinion, but added: ``I know myself pretty well. I'm not worried about it a lot right now. With my knee, I was. With my hand, I'm not.''

Malone has said he was misdiagnosed after injuring his knee Dec. 21. At first, the thought was he would be sidelined a matter of days or weeks. As it turned out, he missed 39 games before returning to action March 12.

The Lakers are 26-7 when he's played.

Malone went through a full practice Monday, and spoke with reporters while working out afterward on an elliptical fitness crosstrainer - similar to a stairmaster.

``I did what my teammates did (in practice), but that wasn't enough,'' he said.

The Lakers (50-23), who trail the Western Conference-leading Sacramento Kings by two games with nine remaining, go for their ninth straight victory Tuesday night against New Orleans.

The Hornets (37-36) have lost four of their last five games, and will play without their top two scorers - Baron Davis (sprained ankle) and Jamal Mashburn (knee injury).

``Sometimes those are the most dangerous teams to play - they come out with nothing to lose,'' Malone said.