Knicks coach Isiah Thomas and point guard Stephon Marbury's disagreement over the reason for Marbury's benching has become the biggest issue on a team full of them, the Newark Star-Ledger writes.

Marbury started last night but took not a single shot attempt and played just 19:20. He was benched for most of the second half, playing just 4:25, and did not play at all in the fourth quarter.

Why sit Marbury for the second time this week? Thomas claimed it was because Marbury had felt sick yesterday morning, and the coach was looking for more energy on the court last night.

"He didn't feel good this morning," Thomas said. "I just thought in a game like tonight where we needed some energy ... we tried it, didn't work, so I just went with the other guys."

But Marbury denied that he felt ill during the game.

"I had enough in me to play," said Marbury, whose sickness caused him to skip yesterday morning's shoot-around. "I wanted to play."

Marbury said outright that he was not happy with the benching. He said he was about to go onto the court at the start of the second half when Thomas pulled him back, with no explanation.