STEPHON BACK ON NEW YORK BENCH; KNICKS STILL LOSE: Well, that was quick. One day after leaving the Knicks, Stephon Marbury was back on the New York bench:

The BOSTON HERALD reports that the embittered guard had returned to his team before Wednesday night’s game against the L.A. Clippers. When asked by the media about the latest situation, coach Isiah Thomas once again threw out the “in-house matter” card.

Stephon was just as tight-lipped in his talk to the press, saying, “I’m here to play basketball, and I’m just going to concentrate on that.”

And concentrate on scraping together $180,000 - the chunk of change the Knicks fined Marbury for his Phoenix flight.

Meanwhile, the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS has the scoop in explaining Stephon’s sayonara. During the team flight to Phoenix, Marbury was told by Eddy Curry that Thomas was going to bench him for second-year player Mardy Collins.

And that didn’t sit well with Stephon: “Isiah has to start me. I’ve got so much (stuff) on Isiah and he knows it. He thinks he can (get) me. But I’ll (get) him first. You have no idea what I know.”

So, the lovefest at Madison Square Garden goes on - but hopefully doesn’t go too far.

Sadly, Marbury’s second coming didn’t resurrect the Knicks, as they lost their 4th straight, getting Clipped 84-81.