Greenburgh, NY – New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire believes he could be ready for Game 4 of the team's Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against Miami despite a hand injury that required surgery on Tuesday.
Stoudemire punched the glass case of a fire extinguisher after New York's loss in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series on Monday in Miami. He was treated for a laceration to his left hand at the arena and underwent a procedure on Tuesday to repair a small muscle.
"It wasn't as if I was trying to take out the fire extinguisher," Stoudemire told reporters at the Knicks' practice facility on Wednesday. "I was just trying to make some noise. It was out of frustration."
Reports have indicated that Stoudemire could miss the remainder of the series, which the Knicks trail 2-0. He will sit out Game 3 on Thursday at Madison Square Garden and is expected to be evaluated again prior to Game 4 on Sunday.
"I think there's a great chance I could play on Sunday," a hopeful Stoudemire added.
The Knicks went 14-5 without Stoudemire in the lineup during the regular season. He missed most of the final month because of a bulging disc in his lower back.
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