Knicks without Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry against Nets

 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -The New York Knicks were without starters Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry on Wednesday night for their game against the New Jersey Nets, who were without All-Star Jason Kidd.
Kidd, who has often excelled against the Knicks since his trade to New Jersey in 2001, was not in uniform because of a migraine.
Marbury wasn’t at the Knicks’ morning shootaround at their training facility in Greenburgh, N.Y., three days after his father died during the team’s home loss to Phoenix. However, coach Isiah Thomas had left open the possibility that his point guard might decide to travel to New Jersey.
“You don’t know,” Thomas said before the game. “In these situations, you always prepare that the player is not going to play, and if they feel that they need to play, some players play through this process and it makes them feel better and some handle it differently.”
Thomas said he wasn’t sure how long the Knicks would be without Marbury. Don Marbury’s funeral is Thursday in Brooklyn, and Thomas said the team planned to attend.
Curry sprained his left ankle while running during the morning shootaround. With he and Marbury out, the Knicks were missing two of their top four scorers.
Fred Jones started at guard and David Lee replace Curry in the frontcourt.
“You have guys in the locker room that are definitely capable of stepping up,” Thomas said. “We’ll probably have to play them a little bit different and do some things different, but we’ll put something together and we’ll be prepared.
Eddie Gill started in Kidd’s point guard spot.