2011 NBA playoffs: New York Knicks' Chauncey Billups questionable for Friday; Amare Stoudemire day to day

Updated: April 21, 2011, 10:23 AM ETBy Ian Begley
Special to ESPNNewYork.com
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NEW YORK -- MRI exams on Wednesday afternoon revealed that Amare Stoudemire has a pulled muscle in his back and Chauncey Billups has a strained left knee.

The New York Knicks have listed Stoudemire as day to day and Billups as questionable for Game 3 of the Knicks' first-round series with the Celtics on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks trail Boston, 2-0.

The Knicks face the Celtics in the first round. Get all the latest playoff information here. Knicks Center

Stoudemire sat out of the second half of the Knicks' 96-93 Game 2 loss to Boston on Tuesday with back spasms. The Knicks' All-Star power forward/center said after the game that he aggravated the injury while attempting a dunk during warm-ups.

Stoudemire said after Tuesday's game that he will be ready to play Friday.

"I should be ready for Game 3," he told reporters in Boston. "We'll see how it goes [Wednesday] and next day, but I'm pretty sure -- I'm hoping -- I'll be ready Friday."

Stoudemire said he tried to play through the sharp pain he felt in his back but the team ruled him out after halftime. He finished with four points and five rebounds in 17 minutes.

Stoudemire, who had 28 points and 11 rebounds in the Knicks' Game 1 loss, was in so much pain that he had to stand during his postgame news conference. He also needed a team trainer to help him put on his socks and shoes after the game.

"He should be OK Friday. ... He just felt a little twinge," coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters in Boston on Tuesday night.

Shawne Williams replaced Stoudemire at power forward in the second half on Tuesday as Carmelo Anthony single-handedly kept the Knicks in the game. Anthony tied a career playoff high with 42 points and set a career playoff high with 17 rebounds.

Stoudemire did not play in three of the Knicks' final four games because of an ankle injury. He also sat out of New York's road win over New Jersey with a sprained big toe.

Billups sat out Game 2 with a strained left knee. He originally suffered the injury on a layup attempt late in the fourth quarter of the Knicks' Game 1 loss. D'Antoni has previously expressed optimism that Billups would return for Game 3.

Toney Douglas replaced Billups in the starting lineup on Tuesday. He finished with 14 points in 34 minutes. Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo had 30 points.

Billups sat out of six games in early March with a left thigh bruise that affected his knee. He also missed the Knicks' regular-season finale against the Celtics. The Knicks are 4-5 without Billups. They are 2-2 without Stoudemire.

Ian Begley is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.

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NBA playoffs 2011: New York Knicks' Chauncey Billups likely out for Game 2 vs. Boston Celtics

Updated: April 18, 2011, 4:32 PM ETBy Jared Zwerling
ESPN The Magazine
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BOSTON -- Knicks point guard Chauncey Billups is more likely to play in Game 3 than Game 2 of New York's playoff series against the Boston Celtics after straining his left knee in the fourth quarter of an 87-85 loss on Sunday.

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"I don't know. I don't know. It's really sore today," Billups said. "We'll see what happens. We'll see how it goes."

The Knicks and Celtics resume the series on Tuesday in Boston. Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni described Billups as "very questionable" for Game 2 and probable for Friday's Game 3 -- the first home playoff game for New York in seven years.

"We're just going to treat it and see if I can get better," Billups said. "I think everything is up in the air and day to day. This is the worst time to get hurt in the first round in the first game of a tough series. I know the team needs me. It's just frustrating. But it's kind of the way the ball bounces sometimes and hopefully I can get back soon."

This is now Billups' third injury since being traded to the Knicks along with Carmelo Anthony on Feb. 21. On March 1 against the Magic, he suffered a deep left thigh bruise and had to miss six games. Then on April 6 against the Sixers, he left the game with a right thigh contusion, but he was able to return two nights later against the Nets.

Anthony said Billups' uncertainty for Game 2 is a big concern for the team.

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"You don't want to lose a guy like that in the midst of a battle like the one we're in right now," Anthony said. "I just pray it's nothing serious, and just be confident and pray once again he's able to go tomorrow. It affects us big time. We're losing one of our soldiers, our leader, but at the same time it's go-time, it's playoff time. We have to have guys that step up, everybody gotta step up."

Especially Toney Douglas. If Billups is not ready to go Tuesday, the second-year point guard will get the start and 12-year veteran Anthony Carter will back him up. D'Antoni was very pleased with how Douglas performed in his first-ever playoff game. Even though he scored eight points, he never looked rattled and nailed the potentially game-clinching 3-pointer with 37 seconds left to give the Knicks an 85-82 lead.

"Toney played well last night, hit some big shots," D'Antoni said. "You hate to lose Chauncey, obviously, but at the same time we feel good. Toney's gonna just have to save his energy up. He's gonna play a lot of minutes."

During the regular season, Douglas averaged 10.2 points and 2.7 assists in 23.8 minutes off the bench, but as a starter in nine games (eight due to Billups' DNPs), he improved his numbers to 13.9 points and 5.7 assists. Most impressively, he improved his scoring every month from December to April, finishing the last month of the season averaging 14.4 points. Not to mention, he led the league in most 3-pointers made after the All-Star break (68). He also ended with two stronger months distributing the ball, averaging 4.7 assists, which was a concern of D'Antoni's earlier in the year.

The Knicks face the Celtics in the first round. Get all the latest playoff information here. Knicks Center

In preparation for the playoffs, Douglas said he's had to adjust to bigger playbooks, as well as longer practices and film sessions, but he has a lot of confidence going into Game 2. If he gets the call Tuesday, he may look to run more offensively to try and tire out an older Celtics team. He plans to talk to Billups more about Game 2 strategy when they arrive back at the hotel Monday afternoon, but he's already learned quite a bit from Mr. Big Shot.

"A lot of things -- just talking to him, just being smarter as a player," Douglas said. "It's not always about outrunning people, out-quickness or being more athletic. I'm just picking his brain and learning a lot of wisdom from him, like with timing and scoring, know when to push the ball and know when not to, know when to give people the ball."

With Billups most likely out (he plans to be in the arena either way), it'll be up to Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, especially, to give Douglas direction on the court.

"As leaders of the team, we have to make sure we keep him motivated," Stoudemire said. "We have to teach him what it takes to win in the playoffs, how to keep his composure and never get out of control. We've got confidence in him."

Jared Zwerling is a senior researcher for ESPN The Magazine and a regular contributor to ESPN RISE. Information from ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan and The Associated Press was used in this report.

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