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Stoudemire named Western Conference player of week
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While the rest of the league is waiting for Shaquille O’Neal’s debut in Phoenix, Amaré Stoudemire has people watching for a different reason.
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After averaging 28.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 3.25 blocks in four games, Stoudemire was named NBA Western Conference player of the week for Feb. 4-10. It’s the fourth time Stoudemire has won the award in his career and the first time the Suns, who lead the West with a 36-15 record, have had a player honored this season.
“It’s a great accomplishment and I’m pretty happy about it,” Stoudemire said. “The only thing that would have made it better was to win all four games. But we’ll take the 3-1 and move forward.”
Stoudemire, who will represent the Suns along with Steve Nash in this weekend’s NBA All-Star game, is coming off back-to-back games with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in wins over Seattle and Washington. That’s the first time he’s done that since April 8-9 of 2005 — before he underwent microfracture surgery in October of that year.
Stoudemire has shot 50 percent or better in four of his last five games and takes a run of 30 consecutive made free throws into Wednesday’s road game at Golden State. Watching up close, even O’Neal is surprised.
“Amare is fabulous. I didn’t know he was as good a shooter as he is,” he said. “I’m gonna help him get to the next level. I’m telling him little secrets about what I did.”
BONUS SHOTS:
Leandro Barbosa, still feeling the effects of the flu, was kept at home on Monday. He is expected to return today and accompany the team for the flight to Oakland, Calif. …During an interview for ESPN’s “Sunday Conversation,” O’Neal shot back at analyst Bill Walton, who suggested that if O’Neal comes back healthy and produces it will be proof that he was faking an injury while with Miami.
“If I’m faking an injury, then (Walton’s) whole injury-plagued career is a fake,” O’Neal said. “We’re talking about someone who only played one or two seasons injury-free. One thing I really hate is a hypocrite.
“Mr. Walton has broken the big man’s ordinance code 225.27 — no big man under should talk about a big man above. It’s just not right and it’s disrespectful.”
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