Tyson Chandler was a scratch for the Knicks with pressing personal reasons, so coach Mike Woodson, as he has been forced to do so many times, devised yet another lineup, the 17th different starting alignment of the season. Woodson put Amar’e Stoudemire in for Chandler at center and hoped for the best.
And that was what Stoudemire gave: probably his best game of the season. Stoudemire has been on a good run recently and Monday was no different.
“Consistency,” Carmelo Anthony said of what has separated Stoudemire of late. “He’s been playing unbelievable.”
Stoudemire played nearly 30 minutes and matched his season-high with 23 points, as he was an active force inside throughout the Knicks’ 123-110 rout of the dismally awful 76ers Monday at the Garden. Philadelphia hung around far longer than anyone deemed necessary or possible but in the end, four Knicks 20-point scorers, including Stoudemire, simply overwhelmed the Sixers.
Not bad filling in.
“It wasn’t really much,” said Stoudemire, who made 9-of-10 shots, took six rebounds and provided a defensive rim presence. “Normally with Tyson in the game I’m a stretch 4, a guy that shoots the jumpers on the outside. When Tyson is out of the game I’m the guy that rolls to the basket to get easy baskets close to the rim. So there wasn’t much adjustment going on.”
And there wasn’t much stopping him. Or any of the Knicks, especially late.
“That’s brilliant,” Stoudemire said of four 20-point producers. “It’s great basketball when everyone can get involved and play at a high level and have fun. It makes the game so much easier.”
Sort of what Stoudemire did for his teammates.
“Amar’e is playing his best basketball that I’ve seen in a while,” Raymond Felton said. “It’s really good to see him healthy, just playing at the level we know he can play.”
So in his sixth start of the season and fifth straight, Stoudemire matched the 23 points he scored against Toronto on Dec. 28. The biggest difference this time: The Knicks won. They lost that previous game, when it was more a case of Stoudemire getting work in during a Raptors rout. But Monday was a continuation, more important because of Chandler’s absence.
“Amar’e’s been playing unbelievably well,” Woodson said.
No arguments from anyone.