New York Knicks big man Amare Stoudemire, sidelined since March 24 with a bulging disk in his back, will play tonight in Cleveland against the Cavaliers, interim coach Mike Woodson said after this morning's shootaround, ESPN New York reported.
"Don't know how many minutes I'll play him, just kind of gauge it as we go along," Woodson said, according to the website. "It's good to have him back."
Stoudemire will be back in the Knicks lineup the day after he said he would return before the end of the regular season in a video he posted on his YouTube channel, STAT TV.
"Absolutely," Stoudemire says in a video, "I'll be back before the playoffs."
The Knicks clinched a playoff berth Thursday night when the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers.
"We just thought about when would be a good time to get a few games under my belt, and we figured tonight would be a good start," Stoudemire said, according to ESPN New York, adding that he doesn't feel any pain in his back. "We did great job of just attacking the injury and making sure everything around the injury is secure."
The Knicks had hoped to see Stoudemire test his injury Thursday in a scrimmage at the team's practice facility, but, according to a team spokesman cited by ESPN New York, they couldn’t scrimmage because they didn't have enough players available.
After Stoudemire participated in the team's shootaround this morning, the decision was made.
Carmelo Anthony has been starting at power forward in Stoudemire’s place. Woodson has said that Anthony would move back to small forward when Stoudemire returns.
The Knicks are 9-4 without Stoudemire, but without him they have lacked a consistent second scorer after Anthony.
"Carmelo's been playing great basketball. Iman Shumpert's playing great defensively. Tyson Chandler's having a phenomenal season so far. … So, collectively, we're playing total team basketball, which is fun to be a part of," Stoudemire said in the video.
Stoudemire was shooting around 40 percent from the field and averaging 17 points—well below his career averages—before he went out with the back ailment.
Speaking after the Knicks' 104-95 win over New Jersey on Wednesday, Anthony said nothing would change upon Stoudemire’s return. He is looking forward to having his fellow All-Star back in the lineup, ESPN New York reported.
"That's another body that we're missing that we definitely can use," Anthony said. "Another rebounder, another guy we can go to; we don't have to rely on me every night. So I'm looking forward to having Amare back."
Meanwhile, ESPN New York reports that the Knicks are expected to add big man Dan Gadzuric to their roster and will waive forward Bill Walker to make room. The absence of Jared Jeffries (sore right knee), who is expected to rest until the playoffs, has left the Knicks thin.
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