Al Jefferson isn’t at Pepsi Center for tonight’s game against the Nuggets, but Kurt Rambis said his absence is because Jefferson isn’t feeling well — cold/flu-like symptoms — rather than that Achilles tendon issue.

With Kevin Love recovering in New York City from today’s successful hand surgery and Jefferson at the team’s hotel, Rambis started Oleksiy Pecherov at the “center” position with Ryan Gomes and Damien Wilkins in the frontcourt, Flynn and Brewer in the backcourt.

Rambis experimented with lineups and rotations for the first five preseason games, intending to settle on those he’ll use in the regular season in these last three preseason games.

That plan gets modified now with both Love and Jefferson out.

Rambis said Jefferson’s sore Achilles wouldn’t have prevented him from playing tonight if it were an “important” ballgame, which, of course, everyone knows it isn’t. He said he isn’t concerned the Achilles will keep Jefferson out of the season opener just eight days away.

“But I don’t know how sick he is or how sick he will become,” Rambis said.

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