Stephon Marbury reportedly asked Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh if he could talk to the Celtics prior to training camp this season, an idea that the franchise didn't warm to at all.

Walsh had told Marbury it was possible he could be waived at that time, but definitely not a certainty. After the point guard asked for permission to speak with Boston, Walsh informed Marbury that he would report to training camp because team owner James Dolan reportedly didn't want him playing for a rival.

Walsh has denied having such a conversation with Marbury, who may have been able to get out of New York and into a Celtics' jersey quicker if he hadn't told Walsh of his desire to play for Boston.

Walsh said Marbury didn't bring up negotiating with another team until a meeting in mid-November.

Stephon Marbury made his Boston debut on Friday night in a win over Indiana, and admitted that he's only human.

"The situation was what the situation was," he said Friday. "I'm human. I made mistakes. I've learned from my mistakes. You have to keep pushing on."

Friday night's game marked Marbury's first of the season. He accepted a contract buyout from the Knicks on Tuesday, which ended a four-month standoff.

Fans at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston gave Marbury a standing ovation when he entered the game for the first time near the end of the first quarter.

"I wanted to cry, I was so happy. I didn't know how they'd respond," Marbury said.

Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni sat down during the All-Star break and decided that his team needs forty wins in order to qualify for the postseason.

"I just thought that 40 is pretty good," D'Antoni said. "There's no reason why we can't win close to 40.

"It's tough. We got some hard teams, but we just have to try to play better and win some when we can."

New York is 24-33, which means they'll have to finish the season with a mark of 16-9 in order to reach the milestone.

D'Antoni came up with the number of 40 wins prior to the team's deals last Thursday.

"I really didn't envision the two trades," he said. "I think it set us back a little, but we're getting better. We should have won a couple games that we blew, but we still have a good chance."

Stephon Marbury will sign with the Boston Celtics on Friday.

?The great thing is that they want me to play with them,? Marbury said at his home in Purchase, N.Y.

Stephon Marbury hasn't been around much this season, so his release by the Knicks on Tuesday meant little to his former teammates.

"He hasn't really been seen in a little while," forward David Lee said Wednesday. "Almost somewhat of a dead issue for us because we knew at some point it would probably happen."

Coach Mike D'Antoni claims that the saga didn't distract the team at all, despite the fact that it lingered for quite some time.

"It's not like, 'Oh, now we can really play basketball, we're not distracted,' " D'Antoni said. "We weren't distracted before."

Marbury hasn't played a regular season game in over a year, so there is some question as to whether he's ready to jump on with another team and contribute right away.

"We'll see. I don't know," Quentin Richardson said. "I don't know what he's been doing. I assume he's been working out or whatever. I mean, only thing I can say is time will tell. Good luck to him."

The New York Knicks and Stephon Marbury reached an agreement on a buyout on Tuesday and he has subsequently been waived.

The following is a joint statement released to the media on behalf of the Knicks and Marbury:
?
?A comprehensive agreement was made this afternoon between the New York Knicks and Stephon Marbury. Under its terms, the grievance has been resolved and the Knicks have requested waivers on Stephon. No additional terms will be disclosed.?

The season-long saga between Stephon Marbury and the Knicks appears to be over with reports that the two sides are close to an agreement on a buyout.

Marbury met with team officials on Tuesday, and it is believed that a buyout is forthcoming that would allow the point guard to join another team.

If he's released before March 1, Marbury would be eligible for the playoffs, regardless of when he signed a new contract.

A source close to the process claims that the Celtics and Marbury have already had discussions about an agreement once Marbury becomes a free agent.

Devin Harris hit a halfcourt heave to push the Nets past the 76ers in a thrilling game that highlighted Monday night?s action.

- New Jersey 98, Philadelphia 96

Team FIC Differential: Nets -5, 76ers +5

Devin Harris hit a halfcourt heave that had to be review by officials to give the Nets (25-32) a thrilling win over the 76ers (27-28) on Monday night. Vince Carter had 10 points and 5 rebounds, Keyon Dooling posted 16 points off the bench, and Harris starred with 39 points and 8 assists. Philadelphia outrebounded New Jersey by eight and jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter. Andre Miller had 17 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds, Andre Iguodala tallied 21 points, 9 boards and 5 dimes, and Samuel Dalembert chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Devin Harris, New Jersey ? 24.5

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 17.8

Andre Miller, Philadelphia ? 15.8

Keyon Dooling, New Jersey ? 11.8

- New York 123, Indiana 119

Team FIC Differential: Knicks +8, Pacers -8

Nate Robinson stole an inbounds pass and scored the game-winning layup as the Knicks (24-32) defeated the Pacers (24-35) at Madison Square Garden. David Lee starred with 20 points and 13 rebounds, Al Harrington tallied 27 points and 7 boards, and Robinson excelled with 41 points and 8 rebounds in the victory. Indiana outrebounded New York by three, but turned the ball over nineteen times. Jarrett Jack scored 33 points on 11-for-19 shooting, Troy Murphy posted 19 points and 21 rebounds, and Marquis Daniels contributed 28 points and 5 boards for the Pacers, who were without Danny Granger (foot), Mike Dunleavy (knee) and T.J. Ford (flu).

Game FIC Scores

Nate Robinson, New York ? 29.9

Troy Murphy, Indiana ? 21.9

David Lee, New York ? 16.0

Jarrett Jack, Indiana ? 14.1

- Boston 114, Denver 76

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +61.6, Nuggets -61.6

The Celtics (45-12) outscored the Nuggets (37-19) in all four quarters en route to a dominating performance at the Pepsi Center. Ray Allen led with 26 points and 7 rebounds, Paul Pierce posted 22 points, 5 boards and 5 assists, and Rajon Rondo poured in 14 points, 8 rebounds and 8 dimes in the win. Boston shot 50% and outrebounded Denver by twelve. Carmelo Anthony had 18 points and 6 rebounds, J.R. Smith tallied 19 points and 5 boards off the bench, and Johan Petro added 9 points and 10 rebounds in the disappointing loss.

Game FIC Scores

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 20.6

Ray Allen, Boston ? 17.8

Johan Petro, Denver ? 11.3

J.R. Smith, Denver ? 9.0

- Utah 108, Atlanta 89

Team FIC Differential: Jazz +45.3, Hawks -45.3

Carlos Boozer wasn?t very effective in his return for the Jazz (34-23) against the Hawks (32-24) on Monday night, but his teammates appeared rejuvenated. Deron Williams had 15 points and 9 assists, Paul Millsap tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Ronnie Brewer scored 19 points on 9-for-12 shooting. Both teams shot over 50% from the field, but Utah outrebounded Atlanta by eight and forced twenty turnovers. Joe Johnson led with 15 points, Al Horford posted 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, and Ronald Murray chipped in 13 points and 5 assists in a reserve role.

Game FIC Scores

Ronnie Brewer, Utah ? 19.0

Deron Williams, Utah ? 15.3

Al Horford, Atlanta ? 12.8

Flip Murray, Atlanta ? 10.0

- New Orleans 112, Sacramento 105

Team FIC Differential: Hornets +19.2, Kings -19.2

The Hornets (33-22) used a strong first half to beat the Kings (12-46) at ARCO Arena. Chris Paul starred with 27 points, 13 assists and 6 rebounds, David West posted 24 points, 9 boards and 5 dimes, and Tyson Chandler added 15 points and 10 rebounds. New Orleans shot 50% and outrebounded Sacramento by eleven. Kevin Martin led with 32 points and 5 assists, Spencer Hawes tallied 13 points and 14 boards, and Francisco Garcia contributed 17 points, 6 rebounds and 6 dimes in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 29.3

David West, New Orleans ? 22.0

Francisco Garcia, Sacramento ? 16.8

Kevin Martin, Sacramento ? 13.6

- L.A. Clippers 118, Golden State 105

Team FIC Differential: Clippers +25, Warriors -25

The Clippers (14-43) outscored the Warriors (20-37) in the game?s final three quarters to record a rare win. Zach Randolph had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Eric Gordon tallied 27 points, 7 boards and 5 assists, and Baron Davis turned in 25 points, 10 dimes and 9 rebounds. Los Angeles shot 51% and outrebounded Golden State by eight. Stephen Jackson led with 28 points and 5 rebounds, Corey Maggette posted 10 points and 7 boards off the bench, and Jamal Crawford scored 15 points on 4-for-15 shooting from the field.

Game FIC Scores

Baron Davis, Los Angeles ? 23.5

Eric Gordon, Los Angeles ? 20.3

Stephen Jackson, Golden State ? 16.3

C.J. Watson, Golden State ? 14.6

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.?
Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

According to two sources, the Knicks will sign Cheikh Samb to a 10-day contract by week's end.  

The 7-1 center from Senegal is 24 years of age and brings shot-blocking potential otherwise absent on the New York roster.

Knick coach Mike D'Antoni will miss his team's practice on Tuesday to attend the arbitration hearing to discuss the grievance filed by Stephon Marbury against the team, the Associated Press is reporting.

D'Antoni will tell his side of the story about what happened on Nov. 26 in Detroit, when the Knicks contend Marbury refused the coach's request to play when the team was short-handed. The Knicks suspended him a game and fined him nearly $400,000, claiming it was the second time he declined to play.

"It's not a great situation for anybody. I hate it for Steph, I hate it for the Knicks, I hate it for everybody, but it's just something we're doing and we'll deal with it and get it over with," D'Antoni said Monday before the Knicks hosted Indiana. "There's a lot worse things in the world going on, so we'll just deal with the problem and do the best we can."