By MARC BERMAN
LOS ANGELES – The Knicks stayed overnight in L.A. following their Clippers’ loss and you can bet on it that Stephon Marbury and Isiah Thomas weren’t hitting the Sunset Strip together.
This is the only quote you need to describe the deteriorating relationship between Isiah and Stephon, who rejoined the Knicks yesterday in a bench role. Marbury did not fashion a storybook ending to the day by missing a couple of key buckets down the stretch and on defense, got outmuscled by Cuttino Mobley for an inside basket in the final minute.
Asked if he had a hard time sticking with Marbury in the final minutes, being everything that happened, Thomas said, “My goal is to try to win the basketball game. I’ve played with people I don’t like. I’ve won with people I don’t like. We’re a professional basketball team. My job is to win a basketball game.” Marbury looked hurt when the quote was relayed to him, a quote that did not make my story because it was said at 1:30 a.m. past the last deadline.
Marbury did not start, is not happy about it, but bit his lip after the game, saying he’s here to help the Knicks win. As far as Marbury continuing to come off the bench following his team desertion, Thomas said after the Clippers’ loss, “We’ll see.”
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The Marbury crisis overshadowed Zach Randolph’s return from bereavement leave. He was rusty after being away since Saturday. The funeral for his grandmother is Friday, so he was headed back to Indiana and will miss the Sacramento game.
But the more you’re around Zach, the more you realize he’s gotten a bad rap on his rap sheet. He seems like a genuinely good kid.
“I wanted to be here for the guys. that’s what my grandma would’ve wanted me to do,” Zach said, his eyes moist after the game. “She would’ve turned over in her grave if I stayed home and missed a game.”