By MARC BERMAN

New York and Boston were linked again through the sports world tonight in what was a Tale of Two Cities and Two Gardens.

Stephon Marbury gets a standing ovation upon checking in for the first time as a Celtic late in the first quarter at the new Boston Garden. The Knicks get booed as they fall behind by 29-11 after one quarter at Madison Square Garden.

Marbury goes on to spur the Celtics to victory, remarkably, with a fourth-quarter splurge. He finished making 4 of 6 shots, jumpers and drives, after not playing a regular-season game in nearly 14 months. Even Marbury’s detractors have to tip their hat off to the Celtics’ new No. 8, doing what he did without a practice. He hasn’t even played pickup games in L.A. because of contract insurance concerns. It should work out as long as Marbury never forgets his role.

During his pregame gathering with the media, D’Antoni made an eyebrow-raising remark.

He was asked about what Marbury can bring to the Celtics. “A guy that talented coming off the bench, it’s not a bad chance to take,” D’Antoni replied.

The irony hung thick in the air. D’Antoni, guiding a moribund franchise, was not willing to take that chance at the beginning of the regular season. The defending champion Celtics were.

Marbury’s arrival onto the Celtic scene comes just as Chris Duhon, his successor, is hitting the wall because of all the minutes he had to play with Marbury banished. Duhon made it four straight lousy games in Friday night’s loss to the Sixers, who swept the season series handily. Duhon committed four turnovers in a short stretch of the first quarter – a sure sign of mental fatique.

The Knicks fell 10 games below .500 – tied for their season-worst – and 3½ games behind the eighth seed. If they don’t get it right soon, with a bunch of road games on tap this month, they could soon fall out of the playoff race. The bright spot is Larry Hughes awoke.

Don’t get me wrong. D’Antoni has done a lot right this season. He’s had to deal with two roster shakeups because of major trades, not an easy thing for a coach. Mike is as down to Earth and charming as any big-time NBA coach I’ve ever encountered. His wit and wisecracks keep my job fun. And he’s got a sweetheart of a wife.

But D’Antoni made one indisputable mistake in his first year as Knicks head coach – a mistake that could follow him all the way till June’s Finals. He never gave Marbury a chance.