<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Good news of any kind is welcome on a team that has lost five straight games, so it was understandable why the atmosphere at the Knicks' training camp seemed almost upbeat yesterday. Point guard Stephon Marbury, who has missed three straight games with a sore shoulder, took a big step forward, participating in everything except contact drills. He then walked off the practice court and announced that he will be back in the lineup for tomorrow night's game at the Garden against the Sacramento Kings. "I'm playing Wednesday," he said. Coach Larry Brown held Marbury out of contact drills yesterday as a precaution but said he expects him to participate fully today. Marbury injured the shoulder eight days ago when he ran into Wally Szczerbiak in the Knicks' loss to the Timberwolves. The injury caused him to miss a game because of injury for the first time since the end of the 2000-2001 season, when he was with the Nets. The Knicks clearly have missed their floor leader. In their three losses without him, they turned the ball over 23, 20 and 19 times. Though Marbury and Brown took a while to get on the same page early in the season, the point guard's play was the biggest reason for the Knicks' six-game winning streak at the beginning of the month. "I think it's crucial for me to get back for the team as opposed for myself," Marbury said. "I think the way we've been playing, we all need each other, and I think everyone realizes that at this point. We need each other for us to go forward and try to continue to play like we were playing at the beginning of January." The Knicks also are missing Antonio Davis, who has served two games of his five-game suspension. Davis was suspended for going into the stands in Chicago last Wednesday. Said Brown: "I think sometimes the young players get a little discouraged when you don't have Antonio and Stephon out there. They're obviously our two leaders. When things go bad, it's hard for young kids to fight back sometimes. It's difficult, but we have to learn from it."</div> Newsday
