Before an MRI later in the day revealed that Spencer Hawes suffered a strained left knee, not a serious or career-threatening injury, an angry Joe Maloof demanded an apology from Kenyon Martin, the Nuggets forward who knocked the Kings center to the ground during a fast-break sequence in Monday's game at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

Martin, who is known for his bruising, combative style, shoved Hawes near the right armpit as the 7-foot-1 center was in the air, preparing to throw down a right-handed dunk. He converted two free throws and then was escorted to the visitors locker room.

On the advice of Dr. Steve Traina, the Nuggets team physician who examined him, he flew back to Sacramento early Tuesday for the imaging test at UC Davis Medical Center.

The Kings started exhaling audibly in midafternoon when they were informed of the encouraging results. Knees remain a tender topic at Arco Arena. Images of Chris Webber's crippling injury during the 2003 playoffs accompanied his retired No. 4 jersey to the rafters.

"That was thuggery," said Maloof, the Kings' co-owner, "and you can quote me on that. Kenyon Martin wasn't trying to block the shot. He went right at Spencer when he was running full speed and at the (height) of his jump, when he was most vulnerable.

"Completely unnecessary. The Nuggets might not want to hear this, but there was no excuse for that, and he (Martin) needs to apologize to Spencer and our organization. That just wasn't right."

The incident occurred in the first quarter of a game won by the Nuggets, who were trailing at the time and being exploited by a series of Kings fast breaks. After being knocked to the floor, Hawes remained on the baseline for several minutes, grimacing, clutching his left knee, and speaking with Kings trainer Pete Youngman.

Martin, whose own NBA career has been diminished by chronic knee injuries and assorted ailments, and who only recently recovered from a rib cage injury, was assessed a flagrant foul 1 – a foul that is usually called when the referees determine there is unecessary contact and the player is not attempting to make a play on the ball.

Asked about the transgression, Martin shook his head, countering that his actions warranted a foul, not a flagrant 1. But Hawes left no doubt about his own interpretation.

"I'd say so (flagrant 1)," he said forcefully. "I saw the replay. It didn't look like he was anywhere near the ball."

The organization's concern, of course, was exacerbated both by Webber's history and Hawes' previous issues with the same knee. He underwent microfracture surgery in his early teens and an arthroscopy to repair a torn lateral meniscus in October 2007, delaying his NBA debut by four games.

"Yeah, I was a little worried at first," Hawes admitted late Monday, "but then again, that's part of the game. It was just a fast-break play, and then I went, and actually jumped a little higher than I'm used to (laugh). Then when I got ready to dunk it, all that momentum … and I landed on the left knee, and it buckled in a little bit. It was scary there for a few minutes."

Maloof, who was traveling to the NBA board of governors meeting in New York when reached on his cell phone before the MRI, urged the league to look more closely at situations in which players are fouled while in the air, elevating for dunks, and at their most vulnerable, particularly when the contact is more than incidental.

"I am going to bring it up," he said. "You're talking about players' careers here. That has to be looked at."

Call The Bee's Ailene Voisin, (916) 321-1208.