Isiah Thomas said yesterday he wasn’t trying to send a message to Stephon Marbury. It was just a case of Nate Robinson having a big night that kept Marbury on the bench Friday for the final 4:43 of the Knicks’ 110-106 loss at Cleveland.
Robinson, who finished with 19 points, entered late in the fourth with the Cavaliers ahead by eight points, but couldn’t work further magic after leading a Knicks third-quarter surge.
“You put the best people in who are playing well that night,” Thomas said. “The focus is that game and winning that night and moving to the next game. I thought Nate was playing well, he had it going. He was playing well in all areas, so it was a judgment call.”
With Marbury on the bench midway through the third quarter, Robinson entered a 62-62 game and helped the Knicks build a nine-point lead over the ensuing 4½ minutes.
“That unit was playing well so I just left them out on the floor,” Thomas said. “Then we got into a point where [Cleveland] came back and I wanted to go back to that unit because it had extended and gave us the lead.”
The coach indicated he isn’t worried about Marbury, who finished with 10 points and five assists, possibly having a bruised psyche.
“Every player in the league wants to play 48 minutes and take all the shots and get all the rebounds,” Thomas said. “But that’s part of managing the team. You’re not going to have 12 happy guys all the time.”
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The focus of yesterday’s practice session was what Thomas called “cleaning up little things.” He was referring mainly to the fact the Knicks made only 60.9 percent of their foul shots against the Cavaliers.
Last season, the Knicks shot 71.5 percent from the foul line, the fourth-lowest figure in the league. Thomas wasn’t as concerned with the fact the Cavaliers made 12-of-22 3-pointers.
“Those shots, when you look back at them, were challenged,” Thomas said. “Even if those shots are made and we do a better job from the foul line, we still win the basketball game.”