Amar'e Stoudemire Injury: Self-Inflicted Wound Sums Up Knicks' Entire Season

If you're reading this headline and wondering when, where, how and why Amar'e Stoudemire was injured in last night's Game 2, even though you didn't see anything happen on the court, don't worry, you're not going crazy.

Stoudemire wasn't injured during the game—heck, he was barely involved in another disappointing loss—but rather than fighting back with his team in Game 3 on Thursday night, Amar'e decided to duel with a fire extinguisher in the visiting locker room.

Like everything else down in Miami, the fire extinguisher got the best of the Knicks' slumping forward.

ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst tweeted from American Airlines Arena:

"

Paramedics just went running to Knicks locker room to treat Amar'e Stoudemire, who apparently punched something.

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) May 1, 2012"

That something was quickly confirmed as the glass casing around a fire extinguisher.

The punch leaves Stoudemire doubtful for Thursday's Game 3 and questionable for any return to this series at all. His potential absence would leave the Knicks three starters short in their attempt to steal at least one game from the dominant Miami Heat in this opening playoff series.

Knicks players like Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler have already lamented the loss of their star teammate, but they're being generous when they say they truly need him.

Amar'e hasn't been near the player he was before the Carmelo trade a year ago. He's lacked explosion, power, aggression—basically everything that made him great during his time in Phoenix—all year long.

The Knicks actually played their best basketball of the season, even better than the "Linsane" run, when Melo decided to finally play ball for new interim coach Mike Woodson while Amar'e was out with an injury.

Melo not only carried New York into the playoffs, but he almost earned them the No. 6 seed.

Amar'e's punch is just another low in the Knicks' roller coaster season and, like nearly everything else, they have only themselves to blame for it.

This team has yet to fire on all cylinders for a variety of reasons including injury, attitude, timing and coaching. We've seen great play, but we haven't seen this team reach its true potential and likely never will.

The Knicks were always going to struggle with the Miami Heat. In fact, you could say the Heat advancing is easily the biggest lock of the first round. But that is not because the Knicks aren't talented enough, it is because no team has done more damage to themselves throughout the season.

One could even say it is fitting that a star player, a $100 million player, essentially took himself out of the equation before the buzzer went off.

For the second straight season this team looks headed for a first-round exit without a single playoff victory and unfortunately, it is far from surprising.