It was the second time in six days that coach Mike D'Antoni went to Marbury to ask him to play. The Knicks have only two healthy guards because Robinson's injury and an ongoing health issue with newly-acquired Cuttino Mobley.

Marbury, who will earn $21.9 million this season, declined to play in last Friday's game in Milwaukee when the Knicks had only eight players after pulling off a pair of trades. The Knicks opted against any form of punishment on Marbury for refusing to play, but that might not be the case this time around.

General manager Donnie Walsh was en route to Indiana to spend Thanksgiving with his family and was not with the team last night. He was unavailable for comment. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Marbury ordeal "will be taken care of soon," which suggests the team might part ways with him with a buyout or play hardball and suspend him without pay.

"They're gonna do what they're gonna do," Marbury said. "That's what they've been doing."

D'Antoni wouldn't broach the subject of punishment or even the topic of a player, who is being paid, refusing to play.

"Guys, I can't get into it," he said. "I understand y'all's job and I appreciate it. But this is something that will be worked out."

Walsh has carefully avoided addressing the Marbury issue publicly and has consistently declined to comment on Marbury over the past week. But when asked if Walsh's stance on Marbury has changed at all in light of last night's actions, a person with knowledge of Walsh's thinking mentioned his quote from the D'Antoni introductory news conference and said, "That's how he feels now."

Marbury met with Walsh on Nov. 13 to discuss how to put an end to his situation with the Knicks, be it with a buyout or a trade. Walsh said he would explore trades but there were no offers on the horizon. Marbury, who originally said he would not take "a penny less" than his full contract, offered to take $1 million less as a buyout. Walsh turned him down. It is believed the Knicks would prefer a number closer to $15 million.

Before the game some of the players believed Marbury had already been sent home by the team. He did not arrive on the team bus, but showed up 90 minutes before the scheduled 8 p.m. tip-off. A team source said he had overslept and took a cab to the arena.

When Marbury got to his stall in the visitors dressing room here there wasn't a uniform hanging. He put on a warmup shirt and shorts and did his usual pregame routine, knowing he was not playing.

Outside the room, it was clear D'Antoni had lost his patience with the ongoing story.

"I don't want to keep talking about it and talking about it," D'Antoni said. "It kind of follows the same path so we'll go from here."

Marbury has yet to play in a game this season which was, at least the majority of the time, D'Antoni's decision. But with Robinson's injury and uncertainty with Mobley, D'Antoni yesterday offered Marbury a consistent role over the next few games until the other guards return.

Marbury, 31, who played in just 24 games last season for various issues that involve his feud with Isiah Thomas, injuries and a bereavement leave, has not played in a game since the final preseason game on Oct. 24.