Isiah Thomas fined Knicks guard Steve Francis after he was unable to make it from his Takoma Park, Md., home to Westchester yesterday due to fog at the airports.

"I'm not OK with it," Thomas said, "but we'll fine him and move on from there."

It remains a question whether Francis will play tonight against the Pistons at the Garden - not for disciplinary reasons but for health.

He returned to the lineup Saturday against the 76ers after missing eight games with tendinitis in his right knee. He scored nine points in 16 minutes in Philadelphia, but complained about the knee after the game.

"I'm not sure if Steve will play [tonight]," Thomas said. "I think it was an emergency thing [Saturday night] where I think he tried to help us out."