NBA

Knicks’ Amar’e looks like ‘old’ self

Knicks coach Mike Woodson has said repeatedly we soon will see the old Amar’e Stoudemire. Through his first six games since returning from left knee surgery, we only have seen an old Stoudemire.

Last night, in the Knicks’ 108-101 loss to the Bulls at the Garden — their eighth defeat in 13 games — Stoudemire played 19 minutes, but had little impact. He had five points and one rebound and took just four shots.

It was the first time Stoudemire has played back-to-back nights this season. The Knicks’ medical staff had advised against it, but Stoudemire said he felt well enough to do so, especially because Marcus Camby was out with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

The Knicks big man, who celebrated his 30th birthday in November, is getting up to speed defensively. Stoudemire’s attention to detail on defense during recent practices has been extraordinary. He is the first to ask Woodson questions.

“I’m improving every game on the defensive end,’’ Stoudemire said last night. “I’m playing better defensively than I have in the past.’’

But offensively, the signs are not yet there Stoudemire is rounding into the $100 million superstar the Knicks signed in July 2010. He continues to say his left knee feels great, but he doesn’t look as if he has the same explosiveness as before the surgery, occasionally get his shot blocked underneath.

There are plenty of excuses for Stoudemire’s underwhelming play on offense — most notably the absence of his pick-and-roll partner of 2010, Raymond Felton and Woodson working under the restriction of keeping Stoudemire’s minutes to 20 per game.

“When you don’t have the starting point guard, the flow isn’t quite as well,’’ Stoudemire said. “[Felton] creates easy baskets for us.’’

When Felton gets back later this month, perhaps Stoudemire, who is averaging 9.0 points on 43.5-percent shooting, will as well.