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There isn't much news coming from Thursday's Knicks practice, and in the case of Amar'e Stoudemire, no news is probably good news. After another day of walk-throughs, drills, and scrimmages-- 4-4, and full contact-- Amar'e reported no setbacks and the team remained confident if not certain of his progress. Amar'e said he felt "even better" after today's practice, so assuming he doesn't wake up feeling differently, it'll be 5-on-5 tomorrow, then in uniform for Game 3 on Saturday. As for his availability once he does suit up, it'll be limited:
Woodson says Amar'e probably won't play more than 10 or 15 minutes in Game 3. #Knicks
— charlie widdoes (@charliewiddoes) May 9, 2013
Amar'e didn't play fewer than 16 minutes in a single game this year and Woodson's been a bit lax with minutes restrictions in the past, but 10-15 or something near it sounds about right. Stoudemire will likely need some time to find his bearings and get his legs under him, and a short couple of stints with the second unit-- perhaps alongside Kenyon Martin-- would allow him to get comfortable without tanking things. Shit, maybe he'll be quicker out of the gate this time around and give the Knicks a genuine boost in those 10-15 minutes. I wouldn't count on it, but, ya know, I also wouldn't be so surprised. The man had some exceptional offensive stretches before this most recent surgery.
Other practice things:
- Few turnovers in the last game meant the coaches had to run today, of course.
- Raymond Felton didn't practice today for personal reasons. His ankle was a bit of a concern at the end of Game 2, so we'll see if we hear anything about that tomorrow.
That's pretty much it! Tomorrow's practice could be a bit livelier and more informative, seeing as there'll finally be a game on the horizon.