Amare Stoudemire

At least he'll be a Sun next season Sometimes, the best deals are the ones the Suns don't make. Coming to his senses, or acquiring some, just in time, Phoenix owner Robert Sarver decided not to give away Amare Stoudemire after all. After just three days of pounding by the press over All-Star weekend, Sarver, who was calling other owners personally, asking for prospects, draft picks and expiring contracts, realized it was better to fire overmatched coach Terry Porter instead. Voila!

According to the New York Times' Off the Dribble Blog, Amar'e Stoudemire took a shot at Lakers Coach Mike D'Antoni. Stoudemire, who played for D'Antoni both with the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks, told reporters at Knicks practice, "I've never been taught defense in my whole career. " D'Antoni has been credited by some as a revolutionary offensive coach but he is rarely given credit on the defensive end.  Stoudemire hasn't built up much of a reputation as a defender, despite his All-Star credentials.

It's a good thing Amare Stoudemire still had use of his right hand following the New York Knicks' loss to the Miami Heat on Monday. He needed it to tweet two apologies for reportedly punching a glass fire-extinguisher case at American Airlines Arena with his left hand out of frustration. "I am so mad at myself right now, I want to apologize to the fans and my team, not proud of my actions, headed home for a new start," Stoudemire posted on his Twitter account . Those actions left the New York forward with his arm in a sling, his hand heavily bandaged and his chances of playing in Game 3 of the playoff series -- and possibly more -- in serious jeopardy.

Amare Stoudemire, the New York Knicks' All-Star power forward, reportedly will make his season debut during a New Year's Day game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday evening. Stoudemire began practicing in mid-December following preseason surgery on his left knee, which he injured in October. He originally targeted Christmas Day for a return but had to tone down those expectations. The Knicks, who have the fifth-best record in the NBA at 21-9, could be without All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony, who hyperextended a knee last week and has missed two games.

Amare Stoudemire, the New York Knicks' All-Star power forward, reportedly will make his season debut during a New Year's Day game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday evening. Stoudemire began practicing in mid-December following preseason surgery on his left knee, which he injured in October. He originally targeted Christmas Day for a return but had to tone down those expectations. The Knicks, who have the fifth-best record in the NBA at 21-9, could be without All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony, who hyperextended a knee last week and has missed two games.

As it always is with a Mike Brown practice, there remained plenty of issues to go over before the Lakers meet Denver in Game 2 Tuesday at Staples Center. The Lakers expect Denver to speed up the tempo. They anticipate point guard Ty Lawson will play more aggressively. The Lakers believe Andrew Bynum will face even more relentless double teams. But Coach Mike Brown didn't highlight New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire suffering a left-hand injury Monday after punching the glass case of a fire extinguisher apparently out of frustration over New York's 2-0 first-round deficit to Miami.

Reporting from Phoenix -- Amare Stoudemire eased his 6-foot-10, 249-pound frame into a chair, the look of style with a pair of black-rim eye glasses on and the look of a combatant wearing an adhesive bandage above the bridge of his nose, covering a cut. Stoudemire had come under criticism because of his uneven play for the Phoenix Suns in the first two games of the Western Conference finals, because of his poor rebounding and because of his comments...

". . . Are the Knicks set up better now to become an NBA champion than LeBron and them?" —Mike Lupica New York Daily News March 10, 2011 I don't think we're in Fantasyland anymore, Toto. It will obviously take a while for Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony . . . like until the end of time. Not that their inability to run Coach Mike D'Antoni's offense should remain an issue since you can measure the rest of his stay with an egg timer . . . not that he'll mind, having fought this deal.

There's too much recent history between the teams for anything else to have happened, a clean and friendly series looking less likely after the events on Tuesday. The Suns quietly assembled for practice at Staples Center at 10 a.m., but then Amare Stoudemire began to talk. And talk. He told reporters that Lamar Odom had a "lucky game" in the opener of the Western Conference finals, an obvious shot at the sixth man who broke through a monthlong playoff slump with 19 points and 19 rebounds in the Lakers' 128-107 victory Monday night.

Amare Stoudemire scored 26 points and Steve Nash had 18 points and 10 assists before sitting out the fourth quarter while the Phoenix reserves completed a 123-101 rout of the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night that gave the Suns home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Suns made 14 of 24 three-pointers, 11 of 17 in the first three quarters. The Suns can finish no worse than No. 4 in the West and would be No. 3 if they win at Utah on Wednesday. Denver, which finished its regular season, would get the No. 4 spot and a first-round home-court edge if Phoenix beats the Jazz.

WHEN: Tuesday. 12:30 p.m. PST. TV: ABC. The NBA season started a year ago on this day, and it might as well again for the Lakers. Their horrid opening week ensured they wouldn't have A Mike Brown Christmas, and injuries to Steve Nash and Pau Gasol turned the Big Four into Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and the Lilliputians. It's no wonder that nearly two months removed from their opener, the Lakers still are seeking their first marquee victory. This would count. The Knicks are easily the league's biggest surprise even without Amare Stoudemire, who hopes to return soon after being sidelined all season following knee surgery.

Christmas presence 'Tis the season for giving . . . injured superstars back to their forlorn fan bases. Dirk Nowitzki, Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash and Eric Gordon were among the A-list players who appeared to be closing in on a return before the end of the year. The Lakers announced Saturday afternoon that Nash would play in that night's game at Golden State after being sidelined for 24 games, since the season's second game, by a small fracture in his lower left leg. The Lakers tumbled in the Western Conference standings without their point guard; they were 12-14 and 11th in the West before Saturday.

There's no need to wait for Pau Gasol and Steve Nash to play together again to assess whether keeping Gasol is the right move for the Lakers. Weren't you paying attention in October? The Lakers went 0-8 1/2 in games the duo both played, taking into account the preseason game Gasol sat out and the half-game Nash played against Portland before taking the knee to the leg that would become a royal pain in his rear. Whether the Lakers are running the Princeton offense, Coach Mike D'Antoni's faster-paced scheme or what could be dubbed zero seconds or less (Gasol's playing time in the fourth quarter last month against Memphis)

LAKERS AT NEW YORK When: 5 PST. Where: Madison Square Garden. On the air: TV: TNT; Radio: 710, 1330. Records: Lakers 9-13, Knicks 16-5. Record vs. Knicks (2011-12): 1-1. Update: The Knicks are the NBA's most surprising team, going 8-0 at home amid whispers of Carmelo Anthony as an MVP candidate. The Knicks have done it without Amare Stoudemire, who hasn't played yet because of a sore knee. Point guard Raymond Felton has had a rejuvenating season, averaging 15.8 points and 6.8 assists.

NBA superstar Amar'e Stoudemire is so passionate about promoting literacy that he has a tattoo on his forearm that says "Read. " This week, the 29-year-old captain of the New York Knicks is translating that ink to the page with a new book series he's written for middle-graders called "STAT: Standing Tall and Talented. " Titled after his nickname, "STAT" is based on Stoudemire's life as a middle schooler. Published by Scholastic, the kickoff title, "Home Court," is written from his perspective as a 6-foot 11-year-old who played basketball informally with friends and dabbled with skateboarding, baseball and football in Lake Wales, the small Florida city where he grew up. "Double Team," out in October, follows Stoudemire as he's courted by more elite players and forced to weigh the importance of basketball and true friendship.

The NBA has fined Amare Stoudemire $50,000 for using an anti-gay slur in a tweet to a fan. Stu Jackson, the league's executive vice president of basketball operations, announced the penalty Tuesday in a news release. The incident occurred on Saturday after Stoudemire responded to a fan's tweet that read: "You better come back stronger and quicker to make up for last season. " The tweet also had an obscenity at the end of the sentence. Stoudemire replied to the fan with a direct message that included an anti-gay slur and profanity.

Lakers tonight AT NEW YORK When: 5 PDT. Where: Madison Square Garden. On the air: TV: Channel 9, ESPN; Radio: 710, 1330. Records: Lakers 15-11, Knicks 11-15. Update: Point guard Jeremy Lin has averaged 25.3 points and 8.3 assists in three games as a starter for the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony is out until next week because of a strained groin. Amare Stoudemire is away from the team until next week because of the death of his brother. —Mike Bresnahan

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES Utah's Jerry Sloan , on his surprise resignation: "I entered every day thinking today's my last day. I know that sounds corny, but I'm a corny guy. " ROLE MODEL FROM ANOTHER PLANET New York's Amare Stoudemire , on inspiring kids in an "NBA Cares" ad: "They look for us to be that positive life form.... " MOST YEARS, ANYWAY Dallas owner Mark Cuban , on Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert's agony: "In 60 days, all of a sudden, your fans are talking about [whether]

As it always is with a Mike Brown practice, there remained plenty of issues to go over before the Lakers meet Denver in Game 2 Tuesday at Staples Center. The Lakers expect Denver to speed up the tempo. They anticipate point guard Ty Lawson will play more aggressively. The Lakers believe Andrew Bynum will face even more relentless double teams. But Coach Mike Brown didn't highlight New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire suffering a left-hand injury Monday after punching the glass case of a fire extinguisher apparently out of frustration over New York's 2-0 first-round deficit to Miami.

It's a good thing Amare Stoudemire still had use of his right hand following the New York Knicks' loss to the Miami Heat on Monday. He needed it to tweet two apologies for reportedly punching a glass fire-extinguisher case at American Airlines Arena with his left hand out of frustration. "I am so mad at myself right now, I want to apologize to the fans and my team, not proud of my actions, headed home for a new start," Stoudemire posted on his Twitter account . Those actions left the New York forward with his arm in a sling, his hand heavily bandaged and his chances of playing in Game 3 of the playoff series -- and possibly more -- in serious jeopardy.