May 1, 2012
Stoudemire Is Expected to Miss Rest of Heat Series
By JAKE APPLEMAN and HOWARD BECK
Amar’e Stoudemire does not have significant damage from smashing his left hand into a fire extinguisher’s glass case shortly after the Knicks lost Game 2 in Miami on Monday night, but he will miss the remainder of the series against the Heat, according to a person with direct knowledge of Stoudemire’s status.

Stoudemire did not sustain any broken bones or tendon, ligament or nerve damage, the person said. The Knicks, who are already battered with injuries and staring at a 2-0 deficit, are expected to issue a formal statement Tuesday afternoon.

Stoudemire injured his hand in the visiting locker room, and a bizarre scene ensued at the American Airlines Center. Reporters were prevented from entering the locker room for some time and blood was spotted on the carpet. So far the only person to speak on the subject has been Stoudemire, through Twitter.

“I am so mad at myself right now,” he wrote. “I want to apologize to the fans and my team, not proud of my actions, headed home for a new start.”

He later added: “We all have done thing out of anger that we regret. That makes us human. Bad timing on my part. Sorry guys. This to shall pass.”

Normally amiable off the court, Stoudemire does pick up frequent technical fouls for expressing displeasure with the officials. During this shortened N.B.A. season, he finished tied for ninth with Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant with nine technicals, doing so while missing 19 games. In 2010-11, he finished third, behind Howard and Bryant, with 15 technical fouls. Aside from 2005-6, Stoudemire finished in the top 15 in technical fouls in each season from 2004 to 2012.

A hand laceration would not be the first strange injury of Stoudemire’s career. He hurt his back during warm-ups before Game 2 of the Knicks’ first-round series against the Celtics last year, missing the final two games. In 2009 he was poked in the eye, sustaining a partially detached retina, and now wears goggles as a result. Stoudemire has battled chronic knee problems in his career, which included having microfracture surgery in 2005.

With Stoudemire injured, Carmelo Anthony will probably slide over to power forward as part of a formation that had been extremely successful with Stoudemire injured late in the season. But much of that lineup’s success was because of the stout perimeter defense of the rookie Iman Shumpert, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the Knicks’ Game 1 loss to the Heat.

Wow. Just...wow.

I wonder what would be going on here if Melo did that - WOW!

Clean wrote:If we still had Shump I would not mind. The fact that we have SHump, Lin ,Stat all out and JJ and BD limited we are practically finished this series.

Sadly, that is true.

I'd be ok being without STAT if our depth wasn't completely shot without Shump. And Melo can't be counted on to play like he did in April because he can't take it inside on LeBron. At least he hasn't been able to thus far. Our only hope is that the floor really opens up now and JR and Novak start getting really hot.

Uptown wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:good riddance.

I wonder what would be going on here if Melo did that - WOW!

Despite Stat, Lin, and Shump being out, not to mention JJ2 limping around and BD's back issues, if/when we lose, most here will still chalk this playoff loss to Melo coming up short once again in the playoffs.

yellowboy90 wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:good riddance.

I wonder what would be going on here if Melo did that - WOW!

Crazy. He is already getting blamed for STAT injury by some.

This team was finished last year with Melo trade.
Not because Melo in not a star. He is.
Trade totaly destroyed the balance in the roster and organization.
Now the mismash peaces need to fall off before the team will be good again.
And this process is just started.

mrKnickShot wrote:good riddance.

I wonder what would be going on here if Melo did that - WOW!

Uptown wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:good riddance.

I wonder what would be going on here if Melo did that - WOW!

Despite Stat, Lin, and Shump being out, not to mention JJ2 limping around and BD's back issues, if/when we lose, most here will still chalk this playoff loss to Melo coming up short once again in the playoffs.

Or Melo's sulking or moping or smiling or standing or sitting or running or walking.