New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire, who smashed his left hand into a window protecting a fire extinguisher after a loss, will miss the next game after minor surgery to repair a small muscle.
The NBA club said on Tuesday that Stoudemire will not play when the Miami Heat visit New York on Thursday. The Heat defeated New York 104-94 on Monday at Miami, prompting Stoudemire to punch the glass in frustration.
Stoudemire suffered a large cut on the side of his hand and had surgery to repair a small muscle, ensuring he will not play when the Heat try to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
The star forward is listed as doubtful for game four on Sunday but the Knicks said they will reevaluate Stoudemire's status before then.
"We all have done things out of anger that we regret. That makes us human," Stoudemire said in a Twitter posting early Tuesday. "Bad timing on my part. Sorry guys. This to(o) shall pass."
Stoudemire averaged 17.5 points and 7.8 rebounds a game this season. The Knicks went 14-5 without Stoudemire, including 9-4 late in the season with Carmelo Anthony moved to power forward while a bulging back disc sidelined Stoudemire.
But Iman Shumpert played a key role for the Knicks during that spurt and Shumpert has already been lost for the remainder of the playoffs after suffering a knee injury in New York's game one loss last Saturday.
