"Midway through the third quarter of the Kings' 108-97 loss to Atlanta, shooting guard Kevin Martin was hit hard going for a layup and went sliding across the Philips Arena floor.

When he arose, he was clutching the left wrist that kept him out for more than two months. But what appeared to be a frightening moment for Martin wound up being a welcome one.

"I think I needed that fall," he said. "It's a little sore, but it's all right. I was just trying to loosen it up. … It was a pretty hard fall, and I didn't feel anything come loose or anything."

The screw that was inserted during his Nov. 9 surgery to repair the hairline fracture remained unchanged. Martin, meanwhile, has not.

While his shooting struggles continued (he hit 8 of 18 overall – 2 of 7 from three-point range – and is at a 38.9 percent clip since his Jan. 15 return), Martin clearly was focused on doing more than scoring early on. He finished with four rebounds and tied with Tyreke Evans for the team high in assists (five) and steals (two) .

"I just don't have a mind-frame to go out there and score 30 (points) anymore," Martin said. "I'm just trying to do other things, have more assists, get other teammates involved. "