According to Espn.com, the New York Knicks have established a playing-time plan for Amar’e Stoudemire, stating that the power forward will play between 10 and 15 minutes Saturday in his return from knee surgery.
Knicks coach Mike Woodson acknowledged earlier this week that Stoudemire, who hasn’t played since March 7 while recovering from right knee debridement, could play in Game 3 of New York’s Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers.
Woodson laid out a more detailed plan Thursday after Stoudemire did not experience any setbacks during his recovery.
He returned to the court Thursday to take full contact in scrimmaging for the second time this week. The first time was on Monday in three-on-three play against his teammates. Wednesday was a recovery day with only shooting and conditioning.
On Thursday, he upgraded to four-on-four play and continued to look quick and explosive with his low-post moves. Most importantly, he was able to take strong contact down low and finish around the rim.
Information from Espn.com contributed to this report.
