In an attempt to get New York Knick fan off of Allan Houston's back, Stephon Marbury stressed how important the longtime Knick is to their success this season.

Houston heard boos on Sunday from the home crowd, as he will begin the season on the injured reserve, and his replacement Jamal Crawford continues to be impressive.

"They don't know what he's going through. Allan's our No. 1 guy, man. We need him to be healthy in order for us to compete for a championship."

Tim Thomas also rallied around the despondent Houston. "He knows how much he means to us," Thomas said. "We know how much he means to us. We can't worry about fans opinions."