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Knicks Fans Boo Isiah In Blowout

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The Associated Press

Published: November 22, 2007

NEW YORK - The message was loud and clear: Knicks fans were disgusted by what they saw.
Isiah Thomas didn't blame them.
Baron Davis had 31 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors ruined Stephon Marbury's return to the starting lineup Tuesday night with a 108-82 victory, sending New York to its seventh straight loss.

Marbury scored 18 points, but the Knicks were never in the game in the second half and were booed often during the final three quarters. So was Thomas, who saw no results from his decision to demote Marbury last week and heard the familiar "Fire Isiah!" cries on a few occasions during the game.

"They were right. What they saw tonight, if I had paid my money to see this game, I'd be upset also," said Thomas, who said Monday he wasn't worried about losing his job. "This is New York, and when you're playing well you get cheered, and you play this poorly you get booed and there's a lot of venom that comes at you."

Thomas blamed himself for the poor performance.

"When you're watching a game like we played tonight, the venom that comes out, you deserve it," he said. "The booing, 'Get rid of this guy, get rid of me, get rid of him,' that's how the fans react. It comes with the territory we have and the place that we live in. That's how it is, that's how it goes."

Marbury was introduced last during pregame introductions, as usual, and loudly booed - though not as heavily as Thomas. The boos started again as soon as Marbury got the ball after the opening tip, and resumed every time he touched the ball in the early going.

Stephen Jackson's 3-pointer made it 58-47 with 1:02 left, and the boos reached their loudest point about 10 seconds later after yet another turnover. The "Fire Isiah!" chants returned seconds later, and the Knicks were booed off the floor after committing 15 turnovers and trailing 60-47.

"That's how they feel," Marbury said. "You're never going to control how somebody feels."

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