As expected, Stephon Marbury missed Monday night's game against Dallas and Isiah Thomas gave no indication as to when Marbury, still grieving over the death of his father, will return.
"I have no idea," Thomas said. "I didn't speak to him."
Marbury told Thomas late Saturday that he needed more time to deal with his father's passing. Marbury had returned for Friday's game at Philadelphia, the day after Donald Marbury Sr. was buried. But Marbury pulled himself out of the lineup at halftime, though he thought he'd be okay to play Saturday, his first game at the Garden since his father suffered a heart attack while attending a Knicks-Suns game. However, Marbury played just 24 minutes and was mostly ineffective in the Sixers' 28-point victory. Marbury sat the entire fourth quarter.
"During the pregame you could tell that emotionally he was a wreck," Thomas said. "I just think it was too emotional for him."
There is a possibility that Marbury will be available for tomorrow's home game against Seattle. Fred Jones replaced Marbury in the starting lineup and scored 16 points in the Knicks' 99-89 loss. (...)
