The Knicks grieved along with Stephon Marbury yesterday, one day after the beleaguered point guard’s father passed away.
Donald Marbury Sr. died of a heart attack at St. Vincent’s Hospital after leaving Madison Square Garden at halftime of the Knicks’ 115-109 loss to the Suns, the New York City chief medical examiner’s office said. Donald Marbury was 68.
Marbury, who scored 21 points in 38 minutes against the Suns, was not told of his father’s trip to the hospital because family members said Donald had been bothered by chest pains in the past and did not want to concern his son.
In an e-mail to The Post yesterday, Marbury – who became a born-again Christian in June – wrote: “I walk by faith and not by sight. JESUS lives in me, and he will guide me through this. This (too) shall pass.”
The Knicks said funeral arrangements were not complete as of yesterday evening, but forward Zach Randolph pledged that the entire team would attend the service.
Knicks president/coach Isiah Thomas would not say how much time Marbury would miss, but a source said the point guard is expected to be gone at least a week.
Marbury’s absence creates an on-court dilemma for the 5-11 Knicks, who have four games, two at home, in the next week starting with a trip to the Nets tomorrow.
Backup Mardy Collins is sidelined indefinitely by a sprained ankle, and Nate Robinson hasn’t been used the past two games because of poor play.
But Marbury’s on-court impact appeared to be the least of the Knicks’ concerns.
“He needs to take his time, because it’s been a tough year for him,” Randolph said. “He should take all the time he wants. I have no problem with that.”
Marbury’s father was alert but complaining of chest pain when he was taken from the Garden on a stretcher by emergency medical technicians just before the start of the third quarter. He died after a brief stay in the hospital, the medical examiner’s office said.
An associate of Stephon Marbury said Donald regularly sat in several different spots in the lower level of the Garden because his son had tickets throughout the arena. Donald, who raised seven children (including four sons who played basketball at Coney Island’s Lincoln High School), attended the majority of Knicks home games despite living in Maryland.
Marbury was told his father had died in the locker room immediately after the game by a family friend. Obviously distraught, he was escorted from the building by five security guards while the Knicks kept the locker room closed 15 minutes longer than usual.
It has been a difficult year for Marbury, who suffered the deaths of both his aunt Helen and a coaching mentor last month. He also left the team briefly during a November road trip in a dispute with Thomas over playing time and has been booed regularly – including last night – by fans at the Garden.
“He will be fine, but I know he is hurting,” a friend of Marbury’s family told The Post last night. “His dad is an enormous part of his life, and he will be missed beyond words.
“Even though Steph was a public figure, no matter his wealth and how he was perceived in the public, in his father’s eyes, all his children were equal.
“He loved his children and loved his children’s children. He was the true definition of a family man.”
Randolph could relate to Marbury’s grief because Randolph’s grandmother died in Indiana last month. He had not spoken to Marbury as of yesterday morning, but said the Knicks would do their best to support their teammate.
“You have to feel his pain,” Randolph said. “It’s been a tough year on him. I feel real sorry for him and his family. The fans are booing him, and his father passed during the game. It’s tough for him right now.”
Throughout Marbury’s four-year stint with the Knicks, the point guard and Thomas had been close until their recent feud. Thomas struggled to maintain his composure when talking about the events of the previous 12 hours. His eyes watering, he let several sentences trail off and spoke for fewer than five minutes.
“Our prayers go out to Steph and his family, and we’ll do whatever we need to be supportive of him and his family at this time,” said Thomas, who added that he had spoken to Marbury since his father’s passing.
Additional reporting by Marc Berman.
bhubbuch@nypost.com