What should the Knicks do with Amar'e Stoudemire after his run-in with a fire extinguisher?  It looks as if Amar’e Stoudemire doesn’t have a puncher’s chance of playing again this season. The Knicks ruled Stoudemire out for Game 3 Thursday and are listing him as doubtful for Sunday’s Game 4 after the $100 million power forward had a small muscle in his damaged left hand repaired Tuesday in Manhattan. Stoudemire cut his non-shooting hand when he punched a glass fire extinguisher door just outside the visiting team locker room in Miami Monday night. LUPICA: DON'T BLAME AMAR'E FOR ALL KNICK SINS According to a statement released by the club at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, “Stoudemire was seen by a hand specialist this afternoon at the Hospital for Special Surgery. The surgeon repaired a small muscle. He will not play Game 3 on May 3 and is listed as doubtful for Game 4 on May 6. He will be reassessed for the remainder of the series.” The Knicks did not say which part of the hand was repaired or how many stitches Stoudemire needed to close the self-inflicted cut he suffered just seconds after Miami’s 104-94 Game 2 victory. The Heat leads the best-of-seven series 2-0 with Game 3 Thursday at the Garden. The Knicks are looking for their first playoff win since April 29, 2001 and hoping to avoid a dubious place in NBA history. The club’s 12-game playoff losing streak leaves them tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the longest in league annals. Mike Woodson will be without two key starters for Game 3: Stoudemire and rookie Iman Shumpert, who suffered a season-ending left knee injury during the second half of Game 1. Of course, the Knicks played well without Stoudemire this season, going 14-5 when he was sidelined. After Stoudemire was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back, the Knicks went 9-4 with him sidelined and Carmelo Anthony shifted to power forward. However, during those 13 games Shumpert, one of the league’s top perimeter defenders, was available. In all likelihood, Woodson’s Game 3 lineup will include Tyson Chandler at center, Anthony at power forward and either Steve Novak or J.R. Smith at small forward with Landry Fields the shooting guard and Baron Davis at point guard. “We have confidence,” Anthony said late Monday. “Our confidence ain’t going nowhere. If anything we’re very confident we can win on our home court. Our goal was to come here and win a game or two, we didn’t do that. They protected their court. We’re going home and having fun playing.” Anthony and Stoudemire have a losing record when they’re in the starting lineup together, including an 0-6 mark in the playoffs. Stoudemire was playing at an MVP level before Anthony arrived in a celebrated trade with the Denver Nuggets in February of 2011 but has fallen off dramatically since the deal. Two weeks ago, Woodson acknowledged that it was his job to try to make the Stoudemire-Anthony marriage a successful one, but that may not be an issue in the future. There is a feeling that the Knicks, specifically Garden chairman James Dolan, will look to trade Stoudemire during the offseason. The club is still unhappy that Stoudemire hurt his back performing a trick dunk before Game 2 of last year’s first-round playoff series with the Boston Celtics. On Monday, Stoudemire lost control of his emotions on the way to the locker room although it is unclear if he was upset over simply losing or that he attempted nine shots compared to 26 for Anthony. “When I heard what happened I turned to my friend and said, ‘I bet Amar’e didn’t get 10 shots,” says a Phoenix Suns official who knows Stoudemire well. “Then I saw the box score. I’m not surprised. Amar’e can be very emotional.” But his careless and selfish act could put him in bad standing with Dolan, who had similar run-ins with Latrell Sprewell and Stephon Marbury, neither of which ended well. In fact, Sprewell was fined and suspended for not reporting a broken hand before arriving for training camp in 2002. Stoudemire’s contract makes him difficult to trade. Besides the money, the contract is not insured because of Stoudemire’s previously existing knee problems and a detached retina. The Knicks did not practice on Tuesday, therefore no players or coaches were available to speak with the media. It is unclear if Stoudemire will address reporters after Wednesday’s practice. He took to Twitter late Monday to apologize for his actions and then sent out a Tweet once the Knicks’ charter flight arrived in New York early Tuesday morning. “We all have done things out of anger that we regret,” Stoudemire tweeted. “That makes us human. Bad timing on my part. Sorry guys. This to shall pass.” That, like everything with the Knicks, will ultimately be up to Dolan.
Amar'e Stoudemire did not suffer ligament or tendon damage when he cut his left hand punching a plane of glass, a source told the Daily News.