Eye injury may end Stoudemire's season

PHOENIX - Amare Stoudemire could be finished for the season just days after the Phoenix Suns decided not to trade him.

Stoudemire, who started for the West in Sunday's All-Star Game, had eye surgery Friday and won't be able to resume physical activity for about eight weeks.

"We're going to be ultraconservative with this, and if means he misses the remainder of the season, so be it," Suns general manager Steve Kerr said. "He's got a long career and a long life ahead of him. And that's the most important thing."

The NBA playoffs begin eight weeks from today, and it's no sure thing the Suns will even be in the postseason, especially with their all-star power forward unavailable for the final 29 games of the regular season.

"He was really discouraged," Kerr said. "He was really starting to play well. He was feeling good about things. Our team obviously is feeling very good about things, just about the way the last couple of games have gone, and this is a major blow."

Stoudemire was injured during his 42-point performance in Phoenix's 142-119 victory over the Clippers in Los Angeles on Wednesday night. The Suns didn't find out about the need for surgery until after Thursday's trade deadline.

"He seemed fine. He didn't have a lot of discomfort after the game," Kerr said. "It seemed like this was going to be a routine checkup like he's had about monthly throughout this season. We didn't expect, obviously, what we found out."

Had the Suns known of the injury, Kerr said he would have looked to acquire someone to help fill the void, "but that's easier said than done."