Amar'e's soft comment gets hard reply
New York Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire (1) reacts after a dunk by teammate Bill Walker (5) as Cleveland Cavaliers' Ramon Sessions (3) looks on during an NBA basketball game. (April 3, 2011) Credit: Jason Decrow
PHILADELPHIA -- Perhaps this will provide some fuel for a potential NBA Finals matchup. Or not.
At an appearance in Manhattan last week, Amar'e Stoudemire was asked about a comment he made while playing with the Phoenix Suns about Lakers center Pau Gasol being soft.
"He's still soft," Stoudemire replied. "He's a good player, but he also has help with Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and those seven-footers down there, so that's a good supporting cast."
Bynum, who saw a YouTube video of Stoudemire's comments, took offense and fired back on Twitter. "The NBA is a weird place!," Bynum tweeted. "How can a man that plays 0 defense call a 2 time champion soft?"
Stoudemire battled Gasol and the Lakers in last season's Western Conference Finals, which the Lakers won in six games.
On Tuesday night, Stoudemire was asked by ESPNNewYork.com to clarify his comments.
"My comment was made," Stoudemire told the website, "and I'm going to stick with it."
Brand's hand injured
It was revealed earlier this week that Elton Brand is playing with a fracture in his left hand. He shoots righthanded, so it's only an issue, he said, if it gets hit. "I've been playing OK with it and it's not a big deal," Brand told The Philadelphia Inquirer. ". . . As long as somebody doesn't bang it, it will be all right."
Knicks fix
Tuesday's win over the Raptors was Mike D'Antoni's 100th as Knicks coach. At 100-141, he is the sixth coach in franchise history to reach the century mark, behind Red Holzman (613), Joe Lapchick (326), Jeff Van Gundy (248), Pat Riley (223) and Hubie Brown (142).
