Ankle sore, but Amar'e will play
Amar'e Stoudemire of the New York Knicks looks on in the first half against the Atlanta Hawks. (Nov. 27, 2010) Credit: Jim McIsaac
There were a lot of ugly moments in the Knicks' 99-90 loss to the Hawks Saturday at the Garden, but only one truly scary one. That was when Amar'e Stoudemire became tangled up with Josh Smith while running down the court and fell.
Stoudemire, who left the game for a little more than three minutes after hitting the floor, said he twisted his left ankle, the same one he tweaked a week ago against the Clippers.
"It's definitely sore, but I will play through it," Stoudemire said when asked if he will be available for today's game against the Pistons in Auburn Hills, Mich.
One player who might not be available is Ronny Turiaf. The Knicks' starting center did not play in the second half after his left knee began bothering him again. When asked if he will be able to play against the Pistons, Turiaf said, "Don't know." Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni also was unsure whether Turiaf will be available.
Johnson one who got away
It wasn't much of a game for Joe Johnson, who scored seven points and shot 3-for-15, although he did have 10 rebounds. Still, you can bet the Knicks wouldn't have minded if he were wearing their uniform instead of the Hawks'.
One of the Knicks' big plans this past summer was to get Johnson to play alongside Stoudemire. The former Sun said before the game that the idea of playing for D'Antoni again was "very enticing."
Said Johnson: "Staying in Atlanta was just the better fit. We've improved, we've gotten better every year. I just thought it was the best situation for me."
It also was the most lucrative situation for Johnson because the Hawks were able to offer him a six-year, $120-million contract.
