Rondae: Rivalry with KP cordial

Within the Nets-Knicks rivalry, a mini-rivalry is brewing.

Forwards Rondae HollisJefferson and Kristaps Porzingis, members of the same draft class, will meet for the eighth time on Thursday night when the Nets host the Knicks at Barclays Center.

“I know [Porzingis] is my matchup,” Hollis-Jefferson said after Nets practice Wednesday. “Every time we play against each other, we always make each other better.

“He knows what he’s going to get from me: gritty, going to play defense. And vice versa, I know what I’m going to get from him. It comes down to who is going to compete harder.”

Porzingis, the fourth pick in 2015, got the better of HollisJefferson, the 23rd pick, in their first clash this season, dropping 30 points and leading the Knicks to a 107-86 victory at the Garden on Oct. 27.

Asked if there ever is trashtalking between them, HollisJefferson, who is averaging 14.5 points and 5.9 rebounds, replied with a smile: “We give each other the look, but there’s not much talking.”

Off the court, the two are more friendly. Before getting to know him, Hollis-Jefferson joked that he wrongly perceived Porzingis to be a “real mean dude” based on “how he looks” and “you know, the language he speaks is aggressive.”

“I talked to him, I was like, ‘Ah, you’re kind of cool.’ So we kind of clicked,” he said. “That’s my guy though.”

Nets coach Kenny Atkinson would not reveal whether Jahlil Okafor, who sat out Tuesday’s game against the Wizards after being acquired from the 76ers, will see his first minutes on Thursday.

“We’ll evaluate it. Talk with the coaches. I just think it’s going to take time,” he said. “I can’t give you a timetable. We come to these decisions as a group. We’ll know when he’s ready and we’ll give you the word.”