NBA

MARBURY, WALSH TO MEET

With the arbitration hearing between Stephon Marbury and Knicks brass still set for tomorrow in New York to dispute his $400,000 fine, the Knicks’ point guard and Donnie Walsh are planning to meet privately, man to man, before the legal battle.

According to a person familiar with the situation, the two will go face to face to see if they can work out a buyout settlement and avoid the legal hearing altogether.

KNICKS BLOG

Marbury has already offered to give back $1 million of his remaining salary and drop his appeal on the $400,000 fine he got for allegedly refusing to play in Detroit. The players’ association spent the weekend preparing for the hearing, in which coach Mike D’Antoni will testify.

With the trading deadline over, Walsh has no reason to keep Marbury aboard. Marbury will take his $1 million giveback off the table March 1, when he’d no longer be eligible to be on a playoff roster. Marbury has told The Post the Celtics have given him a verbal commitment to sign him as a free agent.