BY GREG LOGAN
STAFF CORRESPONDENT

December 29, 2005

ORLANDO, Fla. -- One game after being benched for most of the fourth quarter in a loss to the Nets, Stephon Marbury seemingly took himself out of the Knicks' offense. Was it a coincidence or cause and effect?

Knicks coach Larry Brown sounded mystified by Marbury's failure to get his normal share of shots, points and assists. But Marbury said he was content to let Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford carry the offense while he tried to play the traditional point-guard role in the Knicks' 105-95 loss to Orlando last night at TD Waterhouse Centre.

Curry came off the bench to score 29 points, shoot 10-for-17 and grab nine rebounds in 25 minutes until he was forced to leave the game because of a recurring left calf strain with 6:07 left and the Knicks trailing 94-82. Crawford, who replaced injured Quentin Richardson (back spasms), added 24 points.

But it wasn't enough because the Knicks' defensive effort was so bad. They allowed the Magic (11-15) to shoot 52.8 percent, gave up 23 points on 18 turnovers, were outscored 20-7 on the fast break and had zero steals to 14 for the Magic. Ordinarily, Marbury would be more involved in the offense, especially in the late stages. But he took only three shots in the first three quarters and finished with five points on 0-for-7 shooting while totaling a mere three assists and no steals.

"I think he just didn't want to shoot the ball," Brown said. "I thought he'd have 15 to 20 assists [if he wasn't shooting]. It's just one of those nights. Maybe he didn't feel like he was on."

Asked if Marbury deferred too much to Curry, Brown said, "I don't know. I know he was 0-for-7 with three assists in 41 minutes. That's tough. But he tried to guard. It's just one of those things."

This isn't the first time Marbury has struggled to find his place in Brown's offense, but the coach sounded puzzled as to why Marbury wasn't more aggressive in finding his shot.

"You know, he's got the ball all the time," Brown said. "I ran probably as much stuff for him tonight as I have at any time. It's just one of those nights. Maybe he didn't feel like he had it. But we got three assists and no steals."

After a postgame briefing from the public relations department, a bemused Marbury looked at the crowd of reporters waiting for him and said, "Uh-oh, something must have happened." Then, he wrote off his performance as a poor shooting night. "Tonight, I was just trying to do everything that coach wanted me to do as far as running the team," Marbury said.

After trailing by 16 points early in the fourth, the Knicks (7-20) got within six points at 101-95 but no closer after Marbury missed the second of two foul shots with 1:32 to play. But without Curry, who reinjured his calf on an alley-oop dunk near the end of the third quarter, and Richardson, who did not play in the second half, they fell short, losing for the ninth time in their past 10 games.

For much of the second half, Brown played a three-guard lineup in which Marbury had to cover 6-7 small forward Grant Hill, who led the Magic with 26 points. Steve Francis added 17 points, and Tony Battie had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

If a few calls had gone his way, Marbury said he might have gotten to the foul line more, but that didn't happen.

"For me, the game is not about getting numbers," Marbury said. "I think a lot of people get that confused and mixed up. The biggest thing for me is to go out and play as hard as I can to win. As a team, we were going well. I've got to try to get them going being the point guard."

To be continued.

Notes & quotes: Rookie David Lee got his first start at small forward because he played for Florida and had 15 to 20 people at the game. It was the Knicks' 18th different starting lineup in 27 games ... Rookie forward Channing Frye denied a report that he has been contacted as a candidate for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

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I can't believe people are still attempting to defend Steph tonight. I agree, he did have an "off night"...because he took the night off! Three shots in the first three periods?! The game didn't dictate him taking shots? What, was everyone else really hot? Then why did he only end up with three assists? Or was he concentrating on that tough no-steals & no-blocks defense? Wow, he is beyond justification at this point.

Posted by Knight:

... Rookie forward Channing Frye denied a report that he has been contacted as a candidate for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

what the hell?

Posted by Knight:
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I can't believe people are still attempting to defend Steph tonight. I agree, he did have an "off night"...because he took the night off! Three shots in the first three periods?! The game didn't dictate him taking shots? What, was everyone else really hot? Then why did he only end up with three assists? Or was he concentrating on that tough no-steals & no-blocks defense? Wow, he is beyond justification at this point.

Im not of the opinion that steph played poorly on purpose. why would he do that again. to get traded? to send a message to LB?

Some of these quotes are hilarious:
Brown

"I don't know. I know he was 0-for-7 with three assists in 41 minutes. That's tough. But he tried to guard. It's just one of those things."

"You know, he's got the ball all the time. I ran probably as much stuff for him tonight as I have at any time. It's just one of those nights. Maybe he didn't feel like he had it. But we got three assists and no steals."



Marbury:

After a postgame briefing from the public relations department

"Tonight, I was just trying to do everything that coach wanted me to do as far as running the team."

"For me, the game is not about getting numbers. I think a lot of people get that confused and mixed up. The biggest thing for me is to go out and play as hard as I can to win. As a team, we were going well. I've got to try to get them going being the point guard."



[Edited by - BASKETBALLJONES on 12-29-2005 12:26 AM]

Posted by Knight:

The most striking thing here is that it is clear that Brown and Marbury do not communicate with each other--they talk about each other through the media! If they had a relationship then Brown would ask Marbury what he was thinking during the game or after the game before he went to the media...but he knows that Marbury is a lost cause...

what makes you think marbury and brown dont have conversations? just becuase brown doesn't know why marbury performed the way he did a couple of minutes after the game in the interview, in no way implies that marbury and brown dont have conversations with each other. nor does brown saying that he ran as much stuff for him tonight as I have at any time in anyway imply that brown has given up on marbury