The Knicks’ season turned tragic last night as a grieving Stephon Marbury was escorted out of the Garden by five security guards after learning his father, Donald Sr., died during the Knicks’ 115-104 loss to Phoenix, according to multiple sources.
According to a Stephon Marbury confidant, Donald, age 69, attended last night’s game and left the arena because of chest pains. Donald was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died of an apparent heart attack, the confidant said.
Stephon Marbury was spotted leaving St. Vincent’s hospital in Manhattan just after midnight, wearing a gray suit and looking somber as he got into the back of an SUV. Other family members left shortly after.
The Knicks point guard was told of his father’s death after the loss. It was unclear if he broke down in the locker room.
Donald, who raised seven kids in Coney Island, had been living in Suitland, Md., but attended the majority of home games.
Stephon could miss at least a full week of games on bereavement leave as he deals with the most trying months of his life.
Marbury’s aunt, Helen, died two weeks ago and he missed the funeral because he felt he needed to be with the Knicks. Marbury has been booed at home for two weeks since the Phoenix incident, when he bolted town after learning he would not be starting.
“He’s hurting right now,” Stephon’s confidant said. “This pales in comparison to anything he’s been through. No one’s stronger. He exudes strength.
“I don’t believe there is a family or a family person who is closer to his siblings and his parents than Stephon is. It is like nothing I have ever seen.”
A mountain of confusion reigned because Knicks officials did not at first disclose what had happened. It was clear something bad had occurred because the locker room was shut for 25 minutes after the game, and virtually all the players had bolted by then.
“You want to know how, Jesus – that’s why,” Marbury said to the group of reporters before being whisked out of the building by guards. Marbury could be heard yelling as he went down the steps. Marbury became a born-again Christian in late June.
Knicks owner James Dolan was not present for the fourth straight game, but Garden president Steve Mills was in the shower area, with Marbury for much of the time, consoling him.
Marbury was coming off a solid game (21 points, 7 of 13 shooting), but the Knicks fell apart in the fourth quarter after trailing by just one point after three periods.
The Knicks, who fell to 5-11, already have dealt with a season’s worth of crisis. The passing of Zach Randolph’s grandmother forced the Knick forward to miss four games. The Marbury-Isiah Thomas feud fractured the locker room, and speculation about Thomas’ job security has caused a distraction.
Virtually all the players were gone by the time reporters were allowed access, and Knicks officials appeared ashen-faced. However, the Knicks would not disclose officially what had taken place, leading to wild speculation that Marbury and Thomas had gotten into another wild argument.
Thomas was downcast when he met with the media after his team trailed Phoenix by just one point after three quarters and allowed the Suns to run out to a 18-3 spurt to start the fourth.
“Steph played a good basketball game,” Thomas said. “We played a good basketball game for the most part. But they were better.”
Taking a razor-thin 89-88 lead into the last period, Grant Hill (28 points) outscored the Knicks 9-0 to start the rout as the Suns battered them with a 18-3 run. With Tim Perone