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Jason Collins says he will not look around for Tim Thomas every time he elevates for a shot or a rebound tonight, and he's making no plans to wear any body armor or strap on some boxing headgear.

But as their respective teams take the court in their preseason opener at Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Collins may learn that Thomas is still angry enough to eat raw wombat, and that he still harbors resentment toward the man who prematurely ended his postseason last spring.


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The Nets center, in turn, reiterated yesterday that his inadvertent flattening of Thomas in Game 1 of their playoff matchup was simply a hard foul, and that he considers the matter closed.

The Nets, after all, figure they've already suffered enough. For six months now, they have listened to the choleric Knicks forward declare the foul a cheap shot, challenge his teammates to retaliate, threaten to fight Kenyon Martin four or five times, and even deride Richard Jefferson by referring to him as Jason Richardson. Now there's an insult.

But yesterday brought a new accusation: Thomas suggested that he was targeted for elimination before that series even began.

"It just took out a scorer, someone who in a series the year before that gave them trouble," said Thomas, referring to the Nets-Bucks series in 2003.

"The worst part of it was just knowing my kids were home watching. Losing a game, they can deal with that. But having Daddy (wheeled) out on a stretcher, that's something totally different. But you have some guys that know how to play, you have some guys that are dirty, you have some guys that really don't care. So it is what it is."

Does that mean Collins should expect retaliation?

"I'm expecting a game," said Collins, who shares an agent (Arn Tellem) with Thomas. "It's a preseason game. Last year was last year. I don't worry about anything. As far as that other stuff, I just go out and play basketball."

It has been Thomas's point, however, that Collins' act had little to do with basketball. Thomas had elevated over him and had a clear path to the rim, until he was bumped in midair, causing him to land flat on his back. He suffered back and wrist injuries, and didn't recover until late summer.

"I made a solid basketball play," Collins said. "Anyone who knows anything about basketball knows I made a good play. As far as the result, I mean, I made a good basketball play."

Thomas is also miffed that his opponent never offered an apology, but he never really expected one.

"Some guys are cowards about it," he said.

And as he spin-dribbled away from reporters, Thomas said over his shoulder, "I probably won't be the last guy he takes out like that."

Jefferson doesn't expect the Knicks to seek requital six months after the incident, especially since the most compelling matchup tonight is likely to be Darius Rice vs. Trevor Ariza.

"They had plenty of chances," Jefferson said. "That happened, when, Game 1 when he got hurt? They had plenty of chances for retribution. If they're going to wait for preseason, three or four months later ... gosh. It must have been a boring summer."


Notes:

The Nets will take a bus to Wilkes-Barre in this afternoon, so Jason Kidd is staying behind to rehab. Alonzo Mourning, who hasn't had a full practice yet, will not play tonight. ... Enroll Jefferson in the growing membership of the Darius Rice Fan Club: "Darius Rice is an NBA talent," Jefferson said of the 6-9 rookie sniper. "If he can focus in a little bit on defense and get the hang of the plays ... he'll be all right in this league."

The daughter of Nets assistant coach Brian Hill underwent a double-lung transplant Sunday night in Chapel Hill, N.C. Kim Hill, who has been battling Cystic Fibrosis for much of her life, had been on an active organ recipient list for nearly a month. Her donor was a 30-year-old woman who died suddenly at the same facility. There is no timetable for Hill, an East Orange native, to rejoin the team.