Marbury Decides Against The Nuclear Option

So Stephon Marbury played for the Knicks on Wednesday — albeit $180,000 lighter in the wallet — saying "I'm positive all the way around. Whatever happened in the past is in the past." Damn it. Apparently some sort of deal with Isiah Thomas was brokered, and the skeletons will remain in the closet.

Marbury's promise to dish some dirt on his coach was quite frankly what motivated me to get through the day on Wednesday, but full disclosure just was not to be. So Marbury was fined for missing Tuesday's game, was reinstated and came off the bench to score 13 points in the Knicks' sucktastic 84-81 loss to the Clippers (although Marbury made it close at the end, with a layin that brought NY within one with seven seconds left). Sigh. Marbury: "I'm positive all the way around. I'm covered. I'm fine. I feel good. I'm cool. I could walk with my head up. I feel like I could go forward and do what I have to do. I have a job to do and that's exactly what I'm going to do." While disappointing in the short term, Marbury is doing the right thing by not telling all at this juncture. Why not play out the season, get traded, and then cash in when your new book, Isiah Thomas and the Furries: Shame of the NBA, hits shelves next fall? Chris Kaman led Los Angeles with 14 points and 18 rebounds in the win. Zach Randolph (not a furry) had 16 points and 19 rebounds for New York, which has lost four straight.

• Failure To Launch. It's great to have Tracy McGrady back, because he's missed so many games that ... doh! He's injured again. McGrady strained his right elbow in the second quarter of Houston's 93-90 loss to the Lakers on Wednesday, but says he'll only be out a week. Kobe Bryant scored 30 points to lead the Lakers. Yao Ming had 26 points, 13 rebounds and five assists for the Rockets.

• Are We Insufferable Yet? First Scorsese wins an Oscar for The Departed, then the Red Sox win the World Series, and now both the Patriots and Celtics are unbeaten. Look, I have nothing against Boston, but the universe always seems to even out its playing field eventually, and I don't want to be there when it gets around to self-correcting Massachusetts. The Celtics beat the Nets 91-69 on Wednesday to improve to 7-0, their best start in 35 years. Kevin Garnett had 16 points and eight rebounds.

• Don't Come Into Hedo Turkoglu's House With That ####. LeBron James drove the lane in the final seconds with the Cavaliers down one, but Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu tied him up in game-ending jump ball as the Magic won, 117-116. Dwight Howard's 35 points and 16 rebounds led Orlando. James had 39 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds.