Stoudemire Suffers Setback

Once hoping for a March return, Phoenix Sun forward Amare Stoudemire is not so sure now.

“It’s still 50-50,” Stoudemire told the Arizona Republic on Monday, sounding more discouraged than at any point of his rehabilitation from an October microfracture procedure on his left knee that has sidelined him all season.

“If I’m not ready, then I’m not ready. Right now, I’m not ready.”

Stoudemire has had fluid buildup behind the kneecap. He also has experienced pain in his right knee, which he believes is caused by overcompensating for the surgically-repaired left one.

He has even thought about not returning this season, “because every time I play ball one day, the next day I feel a lot of pain, a lot of discomfort” in the right knee, he told the newspaper.

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Philadelphia 76er guard Allen Iverson will miss at least one game and possibly three more after an MRI exam revealed his right foot was bruised and sprained when he fell awkwardly into courtside fans after a shot during Sunday’s victory over Memphis, the team said.

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Orlando Magic forward Grant Hill, who has not played since leaving a Friday game in the first quarter because of lower abdominal pain, is scheduled to see a specialist this week in Philadelphia and could decide to sit out the rest of the season, the team said. Hill had sports hernia surgery Oct. 31 and has played in only 21 games.