Stephon Marbury's story regarding why he didn't play against the Bucks on Friday night differs from that of Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni.

"The only thing I'm at liberty to say is that I was told that they were moving forward, and I'm not the person who chooses who plays or doesn't," Marbury said.

The point guard was then reminded that he was told that at the beginning of the season.

"I was told that today, too," Marbury said.

D'Antoni, however, claims that he offered Marbury playing time against Milwaukee, which would have been his first minutes of the season.

"When the trades went down [Friday] afternoon, I said, 'Look Steph, one of the principals are gone, Jamal Crawford. There's 30 to 35 minutes out there, and they're yours if you want them. Are you ready to go?' " D'Antoni said.

Marbury didn't play, regardless of who made the decision, leaving the Knicks with just seven players.

"Steph's a grown man," Knicks guard Chris Duhon said. "If he doesn't want to play, he doesn't want to play. It doesn't bother me at all. I was satisfied going to war with the seven guys we had."