New York ? Chants of “Fire Chaney” echoed through Madison Square Garden on a night that was supposed to be all about Stephon Marbury’s home debut and Jeff Van Gundy’s return.

In a game that turned into a blowout just moments after the opening tip, Van Gundy’s Houston Rockets scored 23 of the game’s first 25 points to humiliate the revamped New York Knicks, 111-79, Thursday night.

“Awful, awful,” Chaney said. “We played like strangers at both ends of the floor.”

The buzz that filled the building turned into boos in a matter of minutes as Chaney’s team came out flat. The first “Fire Chaney” chant began with 6:49 remaining in the first quarter after the Knicks fell behind 19-2, and the chant was revived and got louder several times.

“I didn’t hear it. I heard a chant, but I didn’t know what they were saying. I found out later,” Chaney said. “It’s a good chant. We stunk.”

The loss was the fourth in a row for the Knicks, their second straight since acquiring Marbury and Penny Hardaway in an eight-player trade with Phoenix.

Marbury played poorly for the second straight game, scoring six points on 3-for-12 shooting.

His lowlight came late in the third quarter when he went up softly on a two-on-one break and had his layup rejected by Steve Francis.

“I would never think it would happen this bad,” Marbury said. “We cannot dwell on this. After a win, this all goes away.”

Houston's Steve Francis hangs on the rim after a dunk. The Rockets defeated the Knicks, 111-79, Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Francis dominated the point guard matchup, scoring 27 points with six assists and three steals.

Every Houston starter reached double figures, with Jim Jackson getting 21, Yao Ming scoring 15, Cuttino Mobley adding 14 and Kelvin Cato 10. The victory margin matched Houston’s largest of the season.

Moochie Norris and Keith Van Horn had 17 points to lead the Knicks.

The Rockets made their first seven shots and eventually went ahead 23-2 after Francis dribbled through three defenders for a virtually uncontested layup. Marbury did not have an assist in the first quarter, and he didn’t make his first basket until converting a tip-in with 10 seconds left in a first quarter that ended with the Rockets ahead 31-14.

Van Gundy shook his head in disgust midway through the second quarter as the “Fire Chaney” chant broke out again. Van Gundy never endured that kind of treatment from the New York fans when he was the Knicks coach — even after he quit with two seasons remaining on his contract.

When he first returned to the Garden on the night the Knicks retired Patrick Ewing’s number, Van Gundy got the second-loudest ovation.

“The chant was totally unfair,” he said. “We know all about the good part of coaching. In New York, that (the chant) is the bad part. That game had nothing to do with coaching.”

Van Gundy received another warm ovation before this game.

T-Wolves 96, Blazers 75

Minneapolis — Kevin Garnett had 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Latrell Sprewell scored 25 points to lead Minnesota over Portland. Sam Cassell added 10 points and 11 assists for Minnesota, which has won 14 of 17 and seven straight at home.

Zach Randolph scored 19 points for the Blazers, who did not arrive in Minneapolis until 3:15 a.m. due to hazardous weather conditions in Portland. The lack of rest translated into sluggish play and 41 percent shooting, as the Blazers fell to 1-13 on the road.

The poor weather in the Pacific Northwest, which forced the game against Memphis Tuesday to be postponed, also prevented center Dale Davis from flying out to Minneapolis. His absence, combined with early foul trouble for Rasheed Wallace, allowed Garnett and Sprewell to drive the lane with ease throughout the game.