MILWAUKEE — See you in Newark?
Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire is looking good, but not for Sunday against the Miami Dream Team. He has pushed back his return a few days and is eyeing the second night of a back-to-back, next Wednesday in Newark against the Nets, if all goes smoothly.
Yes, it would have been a dramatic return for him to face Chris Bosh in LeBron James’ lone regular-season trip to Madison Square Garden, but Stoudemire will wait.
The Knicks, who defeated the Bucks 111-107 Wednesday night to move two games ahead of Milwaukee for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, play Boston on Tuesday before traveling across the Hudson. Stoudemire took an epidural steroid injection 15 days ago and the Knicks gave him a 2-to-4 week timetable.
Stoudemire, a co-captain and team spokesman, hasn’t spoken to the media since he became injured 18 days ago. Wednesday night, when asked if he would talk after he did back exercises on a large physio ball, Stoudemire replied, “Negative. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.’’
Stoudemire then put on his hoodie sweatshirt to work out on the court. His workout gear is in honor of Trayvon Martin, the teenager who was shot and killed in February in Sanford, Fla.
Why Stoudemire is not talking to the media is still unexplained. In the locker room before last night’s game, he was doing back-strengthening exercises by balancing on a ball. Baron Davis, who came back from a herniated disk, came over and helped the drill by lightly pushing him to give Stoudemire an even greater challenge of staying balanced for five minutes.
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Interim coach Mike Woodson said he has been told by the medical staff to limit Jared Jeffries to 15 minutes because of his tender left knee that underwent surgery in the offseason. Jeffries recently told The Post he will undergo the bloodspinning therapy popularized by Alex Rodriguez and Kobe Bryant. Jeffries played just 9:07 Wednesday night.
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The Knicks finished with 50 points in the paint, highest by Bucks opponent this season. … The Knicks face the Wizards Friday night before their big showdown vs. the No. 2 Heat, which makes their first visit to the Garden Sunday. … Woodson used Mike Bibby for 9:17 of first half to back up Baron Davis. Toney Douglas did not play. … Tyson Chandler was 6-of-6 from the field and a 7-of-7 from the foul line. … The Knicks made 14 of their first 16 shots.
marc.berman@nypost.com