Center Tyson Chandler missed his ninth straight game Friday night amid growing concern he has a pinched nerve in his neck.
There is no longer a timetable for his return. Twelve days ago, after an MRI exam uncovered a bulging disk in his cervical spine, the Knicks announced he would be back in one week.
“There’s always a concern but he’ll be fine,’’ coach Mike Woodson said. “We’re just being cautious. Eventually, he’ll be back. I like to think he’s getting better. He’ll let us know when it’s time for him to step back on the floor.’’
Dr. Wellington Hsu, a spine specialist at Northwestern University, told The Post the symptoms appear to be related to a pinched nerve that isn’t easy to get rid of.
According to Dr. Hsu, Chandler’s complaint of neck stiffness along with sensations running from his neck to shoulder is often associated with nerve impingement that could need a steroid injection such as an epidural to clear up.
Chandler first injured his neck March 13.
“Because it’s going on three weeks, it could very well be a pinched nerve,’’ Dr. Hsu said. “That is more serious than just a stiff neck and could take a month of treatment and rest. Surgery usually isn’t required after just three weeks — unless it doesn’t go away.’’
Raymond Felton said if Chandler decides to rest for the remainder of the regular season for precautionary reasons, he’d be all for it.
Felton believes the Knicks should consider not taking chances with Chandler, especially since the club is on a season-high, seven-game winning streak without him. The move to Kenyon Martin as starting center and insertion of Pablo Prigioni in the starting backcourt with Felton has been golden.
“He’s fine,’’ Felton said. “We’re just making sure he’s going to be fine and we’re not going to miss him if he comes back too early and hurt his neck and he’s gone for the playoffs. If he stays out for the rest of the year, we’re fine with that. We got to make sure he’s OK [for the playoffs].’’
* Though Amar’e Stoudemire wasn’t definitive whether he’ll make it back for the playoffs, Woodson sounded confident. Stoudemire had knee-debridement surgery March 11. The six-week timetable would have him back for Game 2 of the first-round series.
“If anyone’s going to make it back, it’s Amar’e,’’ said Woodson, “I can promise you that.’’
Woodson said he could have done a better job on Stoudemire’s 30-minute restriction policy, but admits he had never dealt with such edicts. Stoudemire wasn’t the only one on restrictions. Iman Shumpert was on one coming back from his knee injury and Marcus Camby still is.
“I never dealt with minutes restrictions,’’ Woodson said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever done that. That’s a challenge, slotting guys in certain positions. I haven’t always been great at it.’’
Stoudemire was in a four games in five nights stretch when his knee broke down again, and needed to be cleaned out. In two of those games he played 30 minutes for the first time, even exceeding it by a little Stoudemire said surgery was bound to happen anyway and bizarrely called it “perfect timing.’’.
“Medical doctors telling you players need to be on restrictive minutes, they know,’’ Woodson said. “I thought we did a pretty good job of managing the minutes. It got out of hand a little bit. When it got to 30, I tried to go over 30. Things happen.’’
* Woodson, graduate of Indiana University, carried an orange during yesterday’s morning shootaround after losing an NCAA Tournament bet with Carmelo Anthony. Anthony’s Syracuse Orange beat the Hoosiers in the Sweet 16.