FUNNY: Stephon Marbury tells Steve Francis that he (Steph) is the real All-Star, then plays crappy for the rest of the game:

During a timeout in the second quarter, Marbury taunted Rockets point guard Steve Francis, saying that he, not Francis, was the real All-Star on the court.

Francis let the insult go, and Marbury went ice cold from the field.

After making three of his first six shots, Marbury went 9-for-23 the rest of the night, spelling doom for a Suns offense that shot 37 percent for the game.

"You never want to blame a back-to-back for a loss, because it can be done," said Marbury, who still finished with a game-high 32 points. "You've just got to focus. The last game is in the past, the next game is the future, this game is the present."

And this game could be summed up in two plays for Marbury and the Suns.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Marbury used his quickness and agility to step in front of a Francis pass and steal the ball. With those same lightning-fast legs, Marbury raced furiously down the court ... only to have his fast-break layup attempt blocked by Kelvin Cato.

One good play for the Suns, one better play by the Rockets.

Via Steph Fanboy #1 Lang Whitaker. The Rookie Of The Year Yao vs. Rookie Of The Year Stoudemire thing never really materialized, and both teams are kind of sketchy anyway; the Rockets won this less-than-epic contest.