Al Jefferson returned to action last night, two weeks after undergoing an appendectomy, wearing protective padding around his midsection.

Although Jefferson was pleased with his quick return, he expects to feel fatigued in his first couple games back. He had 6 points and 8 rebounds last night in 19 minutes against the Bobcats.

"I felt good for a half," Jefferson said. "The second half, I kind of felt it a little bit, toward the fourth quarter. I surprised myself. I thought I was going to be in worse shape that I was. [The offense] was there. I've been running the court, getting a lot of shots up, so when I come back I won't be rusty."