Not that Amare sat out — on the contrary, he started in Game 3 against the Celtics and played 33 minutes — but by playing hurt, he may have hurt the Knicks even more than if he hadn't played at all.
Stoudemire finished with just seven points, shooting 2-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from the line. Kevin Garnett outrebounded him 12-3, widening his advantage on the glass over the series to 35-19.
The Knicks' superstar power forward obviously isn't himself.
"I was very ginger," he said. "I didn't want to draw any contact. The quick moves weren't quite there for me. I couldn't make any sharp, quick moves. It bothered my elevation and my driving to the basket."
Stoudemire sat out the entire second half of Game 2 back in Boston on Tuesday, but he worked hard over the next two days to rehab in preparation for Game 3. He said the process didn't go smoothly.
"Every step hurt," he said. "Every step I took, I felt it in my back. I've never had a strained muscle in my back, and I didn't quite know what to expect. It took a while for me to get somewhat used to the feeling. I had a hard time putting my socks and shoes on, and a hard time to sit."
The Knicks are in a tough spot. They've been without two of their three best players for much of this series, and they're going up against a defending East champion that's gotten hot at the right time. The clock's ticking. If they don't come up with a win Sunday, they're done.
There's no guarantee their chances will be any better in Game 4. Billups' status is still unknown, and as for Stoudemire, he'll play, but he still won't be his usual self.
"There's no way I'll be 100 percent by Sunday," he said. "Even tonight I wasn't 100 percent, but I also knew my teammates needed me to be out there."
Now's not a time for percentages for the Knicks. Now's a time to leave it all out there.
"It's tough, man, knowing that Amare's not 100 percent and Chauncey's not 100 percent," Carmelo Anthony said. "We're just trying to find our way on the fly right now. That's a tough situation. But I think I'd be making excuses if I said that they beat us because we're not at full strength. We still have guys that can go out there and play, so I don't want to use that as an excuse."
Whatever you say, Melo. Truth be told, it's a pretty good excuse. The Knicks' big three has been whittled down to a big one, and against the Celtics, it's not enough.
