Depleted Knicks Can’t Keep Up With Suns

Amare Stoudemire and the Suns proved too much for an undermanned New York Knicks team to handle on Tuesday night in Phoenix, as the Knicks fell113-102 in the desert.

Playing without three members of their starting five, New York simply could not keep up with the inspired performance of the host Suns. Phoenix shot 56 percent from the floor on Tuesday, led by a dominant performance from Amare Stoudemire who had 26 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in less than 30 minutes.

Stoudemire was not the only hero, as four players on the Suns scored 21 points or more. Shawn Marion impressed, with 27 points and seven rebounds, along with two steals and two blocks in the game. Grant Hill also provided a scoring spark with 21 points, as did Leandro Barbosa, who put in 23 points on the game.

It all happened on an off-night for the Suns’ biggest superstar, Steve Nash, who managed only five points on 33 percent shooting. The two-time NBA MVP still managed to control the game at times, and ended up with 12 assists, consistently getting into the paint and distributing the ball to his open teammates.

The Knicks were extremely shorthanded on Tuesday, playing without Zach Randolph, Stephon Marbury and Quentin Richardsonto start the game. Things got worse when starting guard Mardy Collins went down with an injury five minutes into the game. Although they were overmatched, the Knicks made an impressive effort and refused to give in, but Stoudemire and the high-octane Suns had too much to offer.

“They come at you from all different angles, and they have the two-time MVP in Mr. Nash, who is quite a player,” said Knicks President, Basketball Operations, and Head Coach Isiah Thomas. “… Even with your full team and your best team it’s still hard to come in this building and play against this team and get a win.”

Although the Knicks lost their third game in a row on Tuesday and fell to 0-2 on the road, there were a some positives to come out of this game. First and foremost was the performance of Fred Jones, who got a rare chance to start and was a force for New York. Jones showed that he can create matchup problems for opponents, since he is too big for most guards to defend, yet too fast for forwards to handle. His 19 points and 9 rebounds included two three-pointers and three offensive rebounds. Jones also had three assists and three steals as he took advantage of the chance to show his full repertoire.

Tuesday’s game also featured the return of Knicks forward Jared Jeffries, who had been out with an injury. His ability to defend four positions on the floor was a valuable asset to the Knicks, and Thomas was happy to have him back.

“Jared will be a big plus once he gets his legs back underneath him … He gave us some good minutes,” Thomas said.

Wilson Chandler, the team’s first round draft pick last June, also had a strong evening with eight points, two rebounds and a steal in limited minutes. He showed definite aggressiveness in Phoenix as he made his NBA debut. Chandler missed his first two shots, one from long range, but the next time he got the ball, he drove to the basket and was fouled. He kept shooting, and the points came from an array of shots, both inside and out.