Just when the Knicks were hitting their stride with new coach Mike Woodson, the team has been hit with what could be a devastating injury.
Starting power forward Amar’e Stoudemire, who had an MRI on March 25 after feeling discomfort in his back and was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his lower back, received confirmation of the diagnosis after seeing a doctor in Miami yesterday. Stoudemire will not need surgery, but will be out two to four weeks according to the Knicks. He will rehabilitate the injury and receive an epidural.
There was some speculation over the past few days that the injury could keep Stoudemire out for the remainder of the season. The team’s hope that the second opinion would be positive turned out to be true.
“Hopefully the second opinion is something. Since he was out all [last] summer rehabbing it and getting treatment on it. I’m hoping it’s nothing too serious at this point,” Carmelo Anthony said on Sunday.
The Knicks (25-25) have 16 games left in the season. If he misses about two weeks he could return in one of the back-to-back games against Chicago on April 8 and 10. Four weeks, however, would put him very near the end of the regular season on April 26 against Charlotte.
The team is already without fellow post player Jared Jeffries. And Jeremy Lin will not play tonight against the Magic. He is still listed as day-to-day with a sore left knee.
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