Amar'e Stoudemire Injury: Horrifying Details Emerge About Hand Laceration

The initial reaction to Amar'e Stoudemire's now-infamous attack on a fire extinguisher was one of utter disbelief.

Not disbelief in a sense that an athlete acted out in rage and emotion after a difficult loss, but disbelief that the New York Knicks superstar was dumb enough to punch through glass like he was acting in a WWE stunt.

But more information on the incident and injury has recently emerged, and the horrific details are not for the faint of heart.

ESPN's Chris Broussard says an eyewitness source told him half of Amar'e's hand was "hanging off" after the punch:

"

Half of his hand was just hanging off. It was really bad. Blood was just squirting out. That's why they had the paramedics come in, because they thought he might have punctured an artery because of how much blood was coming out.

"

Stoudemire, who reportedly believed the glass was plastic, is going to miss Game 3 of the Knicks' series against the Miami Heat and is likely going to miss Game 4, as well. In fact, The New York Post's Marc Berman reports that Stoudemire is expected to undergo "series-ending surgery":

"

Stoudemire undergoes what is expected to be series-ending surgery to repair. #Knicks not expecting him back. nyp.st/IUUwgS

— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) May 2, 2012"

Update: Wednesday, May 2: 12:40 p.m. ET

Amar'e isn't staying silent on this matter either. The star forward reportedly addressed the media today and said (via Steve Popper):

"

Amar'e addresses the media - said he feels a great chance he will play in Game 4 Sunday. Knicks have listed him as doubtful.

— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) May 2, 2012"

He also said he didn't punch the glass, but rather (via Al Iannazzone) "swung his arm back and hit the wall and caught the fire extinguisher."

Sunday's Game 4 is far away, but the previous reports of surgery point to Amar'e being nowhere near the court for that game.

This situation has gone from bad to worse and is unfortunately the second straight postseason in which Amar'e has been sidelined with self-inflicted wounds. A year ago, when the Knicks were swept by the Boston Celtics, he missed time with a pulled disc in his back after attempting a dunk in warm-ups of Game 2.

New York was always going to struggle with Miami even at full strength, but now they're down two starters (technically three, if you count Jeremy Lin) and return to Madison Square Garden knowing they could very well be swept away on their home court for the second straight season.