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Stoudemire, Knicks invade Valley of the Sun

Jan 7, 2011 - 3:59 PM (Sports Network) - Mike D'Antoni and Amare Stoudemire will lead the New York Knicks into the desert tonight for the opener of a four-game road trip against the Phoenix Suns.

D'Antoni, of course, coached the Suns from 2003 to 2008, helping the franchise win 50-or-more games in four consecutive seasons and earning the NBA's Coach of the Year Award in 2004-05. His mentor's offensive system, dubbed "Seven Seconds or Less" while he was in Phoenix, has taken off in Gotham this year thanks in large part to the addition of Stoudemire, the Suns' former star big man.

Stoudemire was a five-time All-Star in Phoenix before fleeing for the bright lights of the big city last offseason for a five-year pact worth nearly $100 million dollars in a sign-and-trade deal that gave the Suns a $16.5 million trade exception and a second-round draft pick.

"As a player, he's done great things here," coach Alvin Gentry told the Suns' website this week. "I'm happy for him and I hope he wins every game - except the two he plays against us."

Stoudemire, the former 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year, has been brilliant so far in New York, a legitimate MVP candidate that has already set a franchise record by scoring 30-plus points in nine straight games earlier this season.

The Knicks arrive in Phoenix coming off one of their most impressive wins of the season, a 128-115 drubbing of San Antonio on Tuesday in Madison Square Garden. Wilson Chandler hit 13-of-19 shots en route to a season-high 31 points and added nine rebounds with four assists in that one.

Stoudemire supplied 28 points, nine boards, six assists and three blocks while Raymond Felton provided 28 points and seven assists for the Knicks, who have won two in a row and four out of their last six overall.

"It was a big win for us," Stoudemire said. "It was very intriguing the way we played. We had great energy from the start. They tried to send double and triple teams at me and I was able to pick them apart. Guys were open and ready to shoot."

The Suns, meanwhile, have fallen on hard times without Stoudemire. The team made it all the way to the Western Conference finals last season with the athletic big man but have struggled to a 14-20 record in this campaign without him.

Most recently Phoenix lost its second straight game on Wednesday when Kobe Bryant led the way with 24 points, as the Los Angeles Lakers dropped the struggling Suns, 99-95.

Jared Dudley scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting to pace Phoenix, while Steve Nash added 11 points and 10 assists in the loss, the club's sixth in seven games.

"It was a disappointing loss. We didn't break down, we just didn't make enough plays or play well enough to win the game, so it's disappointing, but we got to stay positive and keep moving," Nash said.

The Knicks have lost their last seven visits to the desert by an average of over 15 points a game. Now that Stoudemire has switched sides, however, expect that to change.

"They are playing great basketball and obviously Amare is the focal point," Gentry said. "Looking over the course of his career, it doesn't surprise me what he's doing in New York."