NEW YORK — The Knicks could get both Steve Novak and Amar’e Stoudemire back for Game 3 on Saturday in Indianapolis.
Novak (back spasms) is out for Game 1 and possibly Game 2 and said he’d be “disappointed” if he can’t at least suit up for Game 3.
Stoudemire (right knee debridement) is out for the first two games but is targeting a Game 3 comeback. He hasn’t played since March 7.
“Obviously, I think with the way we matchup with Indiana, they got a lot of bigs and Amar’e back out there would be huge,” Novak said before Game 1.
“I think the more bigs, the better it is to have spacing out there as well, so I think the guys obviously played well the last game without both of us, but we understand we’d like to be a full unit.”
Novak said his back went out during the layup line in Game 5 of the Celtics series.
“I caught the ball and I was in a shot-fake dribble and pulled to shoot,” Novak said. “When I shot-faked it was like my lower back just spasmed and locked up, so I walked straight back here….It was just one of those things you can’t control. Obviously, frustrating for it to happen right now.”
Ironically, Novak and Stoudemire could be battling for minutes of the bench when they both return. Right now, Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith are playing key minutes off the bench as the Knicks have won 20 of 24 games entering Game 1.
Still, because Indiana is a big team with 7-2 Roy Hibbert and 6-9 David West leading the way, the more bigs the Knicks have, the better.
Tyson Chandler said earlier that Stoudemire’s return could allow coach Mike Woodson to potentially play he and Martin together, with Stoudemire as the main backup.
Meantime, Woodson said he liked the ability of his bigs to rotate on Indiana’s bigs.
“Our guys are pretty mobile with Kenyon and Tyson,” Woodson said. “Amar’e’s pretty mobile too when he comes back.”