Larry Brown escalated his own rhetoric yesterday towards Stephon Marbury.

"I'll take full responsibility for us winning 17 games and losing 45," Brown said, before turning unusually sarcastic. Noting that Marbury considers himself the N.B.A.'s top point guard, Brown said, "You're the best guard in the league, and the team's 17-45 ? yeah, it's the coach's fault."

Marbury acknowledged Brown's Hall-of-Fame credentials, in his own odd way.

"Coach is a great coach, you know, from what everyone says," Marbury said. "We're supposed to be better than what we are."

Jamal Crawford, meanwhile, is trying to be the voice of reason.

"To me, being with those two every day, Coach and Steph have a genuine respect for one another," Crawford said. "They may not agree all the time, but they have a genuine respect for one another."