NEW YORK (AP) -Stephon Marbury rejoined the New York Knicks' starting lineup Tuesday night, a week after he responded to a demotion by leaving the team for one game.

Marbury said he was told by coach Isiah Thomas at the beginning of the morning shootaround at their training center in Greenburgh, N.Y., that he would start against the Golden State Warriors. Marbury was a reserve for three games, and the Knicks lost all of them to extend their losing streak to six.

The skid reached seven after a 108-82 loss. Marbury scored 18 points, but the Knicks were never in the game in the second half.

``It was such an ugly game for us, you really can't judge by what you saw tonight in terms of progress, because clearly there was none to be shown in this game,'' Thomas said. ``Not necessarily for Steph, but just for our overall team.''

Marbury was introduced last during pregame introductions, as usual, and loudly booed - though not as heavily as Thomas. Marbury, who had a tough defensive assignment with Warriors point guard Baron Davis, also was booed every time he touched the ball in the early going.

Marbury said after the game he would travel with the Knicks for their game Wednesday at Detroit, rather than stay in New York for the funeral of an aunt who died Monday.

``I want to be here for my family, but I'm going to Detroit,'' Marbury said.

Marbury played poorly in a home loss to Miami on Nov. 11, and Thomas told him that he wouldn't start at Phoenix in the opener of the Knicks' road trip. Marbury returned to New York and skipped that game, then returned to the Knicks the next night.

Thomas said at the time he wanted better defense and leadership from Marbury, but acknowledged before the game that the benching was a punishment. He believes Marbury will provide what is needed.

``I just think he needed a reminder,'' Thomas said. ``I don't think it's something that he doesn't know how to do. He definitely knows how to play the position and he has great skill. He has great talent and we needed to remind him of what we need and expect from that position for us to be successful.''

Thomas said he expects Marbury to remain the starter, though Marbury said he wasn't told his return was permanent. But the Knicks desperately need some form of stability, having fallen to 2-8 and last in the Atlantic Division.

Marbury said nothing good came from last week's ordeal, though Thomas felt it may have been necessary.

``In order to have progress and to move forward, sometimes you have to have some uncomfortableness between player and coach,'' Thomas said. ``To get the most out of the player sometimes it's got to be a little bit uncomfortable, but that's the way it goes in sports. You've got to move on and you've got to get better.

``It's not going to always be a smooth, nice path of friendly relationships. Sometimes you're going to have some situations where it's testy, but for the most part you've got to get the player and you've got to get the team to improve and that's our goal.''

It's been a particularly tough stretch for Marbury, who said he also had another recent death in the family. The Knicks docked him a game's pay for skipping the loss at Phoenix without an excuse, but may choose to reconsider given what Marbury has gone through.

``It's been difficult, but at the same time I'm weathering the storm,'' Marbury said. ``I had two deaths in my family, so coping with that and trying to continue to maintain as far as what we have to do on the basketball court has been a little bit different, as well. So I've made some adjustments.''

His aunt's death may have been the reason Marbury was gone before he could be interviewed after practice Monday. There was a report the whole team was kicked out of that practice, but Knicks spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz called it an ``erroneous report'' and Thomas said he hadn't done that since sometime last season.

``I'm concerned as far as the wins and losses that we have,'' Marbury said. ``We're just trying to get that to turn around. That's what I want to happen.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.