Stephon Marbury is leaning toward not playing tonight against Dallas because he believes he came back too soon after burying his father, Donald Marbury Sr., on Thursday. Marbury, who played ineffectively Friday and Saturday, missed practice yesterday and probably needs a few more days to cope with his father’s death eight days ago of a heart attack while the Knicks were playing Utah at Madison Square Garden.
Marbury had covered his head and face completely in a towel on the bench Saturday against Philadelphia after a 1-for-5, six-point outing and looked on the verge of crying. He declined to speak afterward.
“We’ll give him as much time as he needs,” Isiah Thomas said. “He’s had a tough time going back to the Garden. (Saturday) night was very difficult for him.”