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Video: Playoff-Bound Knicks Get Amare Stoudemire Back Tonight
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 20, 2012
Modified Apr 20, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 20, 2012
Modified Apr 20, 2012
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Despite what the Charles Barkleys of the world might say, the Knicks have been playing their best non-Linsanity basketball of the season over the last few weeks, and could be poised for an exciting playoff run. With the Milwaukee Bucks losing last night, they secured a playoff spot for the second year in a row—and even better, Amare Stoudemire will be back in the lineup tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Stoudemire has missed 13 games due to a bulging lower disk in his back, but he says he's "pain free" now. "Carmelo is a phenomenal player, but he can't do it by himself," Stoudemire said at the morning shootaround. "The rest of the team is playing well, but for me to get back out there and be the dynamic scorer that I am, alongside him, it's a great one-two option." For background info on Stoudemires injury, read more here.
Coach Mike Woodson was unsure how many minutes he'd play him tonight, but was glad to have Stat back: "It gives us another big-time player in the lineup," Woodson said. "We're solid now. When you got Amare, [Tyson Chandler], Melo on the front line, that's as good as it gets. I just gotta make it work and I think I can do that."
Stoudemire also noted that he didn't understand why people were still worried about team chemistry: “When Mike took over when I was on the court, our record was 6-1,’’ Stoudemire said. “I don’t see what the big deal is. We’ll get back to doing what we did before. We were 6-1 with me, Carmelo and the full team with Woodson taking over. We’ll get back to that.’’
And with Dwight Howard out for the rest of the year (or refusing to play or whatever), there's a still a chance the Knicks could claw their way to the sixth seed in the East, and face the Indiana Pacers instead of the Miami Heat in the first round. But if they do play the Heat, hopefully the Heat will literally AND figuratively stink.
Tagged
amare stoudemire
basketball
knicks
nba
playoffs
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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