As another great sees the curtain come down on his NBA career, we look at five of Amar’e Stoudemire‘s best performances against the Milwaukee Bucks.
It was somewhat fitting that in the same summer as Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan called an end to their career that Amar’e Stoudemire joined them in announcing his retirement.
That’s not because the three of them will be remembered in the same breath, but more a reminder that in spite of Stoudemire’s remarkable talent, injuries left him in the shadows of his contemporaries for most of his career and in some ways continue to do so into his retirement.
If it wasn’t for constant knee injuries and problems with his eyes, there’s no knowing just how Stoudemire’s career would have ranked all-time. When he burst on the scene his combination of power and athleticism was close to unmatched around the NBA, ultimately leading to him becoming a cornerstone of the outstanding Phoenix Suns teams of the mid to late 00’s.
More from Bucks History
- The 3 biggest “What Ifs” in Milwaukee Bucks’ franchise history
- 6 Underrated Milwaukee Bucks of the Giannis Antetokounmpo era
- Ranking Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 10 best Bucks teammates of all time
- How well do you know the Milwaukee Bucks’ top 20 career point leaders?
- Looking at important playoff numbers in Milwaukee Bucks franchise history
Of course, across the course of a career in which Stoudemire logged over 28,000 minutes between the regular season and the playoffs, he crossed paths and dropped big performances on the Bucks on a number of occasions.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing between Amar’e and his Milwaukee counterparts. Stoudemire and Andrew Bogut clashed in the Bradley Center back in 2010, with both men likely still on edge having recently recovered from serious injuries. Of course, Stoudemire was the man involved in the clash that marred Bogut’s time as a Buck too.
Even in what was Stoudemire’s last game against the Bucks back in March, he was involved in a fiery war of words (and shoves) with Giannis Antetokounmpo early on. Perhaps when Antetokounmpo outscored him by 18 points after the exchange Stoudemire realized he could no longer win such battles with the league’s young stars.
A current Buck must still have nightmares over a time when there was no stopping Amar’e too. In a career that was awash with great dunks, a slam he threw down on a young Greg Monroe in Detroit remains an exclamation point.
Let’s narrow our focus to the best of what Amar’e showed in matchups with the Bucks over the years though, and take a look at his top five performances against Milwaukee.
Next: #5
5. Milwaukee Bucks 102, New York Knicks 96 – March 25, 2011
This is the only game on our list that comes from outside of Stoudemire’s time in Phoenix, and funnily enough it’s also the only game that you’ll find here in which the Bucks came out on top.
In the days when a red-hot 37 point showing from Brandon Jennings was a real thing, it was no easy task to stop the Bucks from grabbing a W and Amar’e certainly found that to be true on this particular occasion.
Although he struggled from the field early on in the contest, in what was bordering on an off night at the time for Stoudemire, he still managed to have his fingerprints all over the game as the Knicks just came up short.
Stoudemire would finish up the contest pacing his team in scoring with 28 points, which was three more than Carmelo Anthony could muster on the night. Coming via 10-20 from the field and 8-10 from the free throw line, there could be few complaints about the Florida native’s efficiency. Adding nine rebounds for good measure certainly helped to further round out an impressive individual showing.
Next: #4
4. Phoenix Suns 104, Milwaukee Bucks 96 – November 8, 2008
The 2008-09 Suns roster was packed with star power, but still trying to adjust to a change in style under head coach Terry Porter, ultimately it would become a season of disappointment.
A detached retina suffered by Stoudemire just after the All-Star break would derail Phoenix’s season, as a record of 46-36 was only good enough for them to finish ninth in a stacked Western Conference.
On this particular occasion in Milwaukee, a Bucks team leaning heavily on the likes of Bogut, Richard Jefferson and Charlie Bell put in a spirited early season performance but came short against Stoudemire, Steve Nash, Grant Hill and Shaquille O’Neal (on a night when he was the game leader with 29 points and 11 rebounds).
For Stoudemire, this was a night which evidenced what made him a little different from many of the league’s other big men at the time. In a game when he struggled from the field and found very little falling his way off of the glass, Stoudemire posted 24 points thanks to shooting 18-20 from the charity stripe. Not only did Stoudemire have the brutish physicality to get to the line, but he had the touch to finish.
Next: #3
3. Phoenix Suns 118, Milwaukee Bucks 112 – February 26, 2003
This was not the most eye-popping performance that Stoudemire recorded against the Bucks throughout his career in a numbers sense, but it spoke volumes about the player he would go on to become.
Coming in the second half of Stoudemire’s first year in the league, one in which he would eventually be named Rookie of the Year, Amar’e left no doubts over his ability to compete in spite of making the jump straight from high school.
Matching up with a Bucks team equipped with the experience of Gary Payton, Toni Kukoc, Sam Cassell and Anthony Mason, Stoudemire might not have provided the flash that teammates like Stephon Marbury, Joe Johnson and Shawn Marion did, but he provided the elbow grease.
Amar’e would finish the game with 12 points, 14 rebounds, one assist and two blocks before going on to be a key in the Suns making the post-season in the first year of his pro career.
Next: #2
2. Phoenix Suns 114, Milwaukee Bucks 105 – January 22, 2008
Coming only 10 days after the game that slots in at number one on our list, Stoudemire truly took the Bucks to task in 2008.
With Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut making for quite an impressive duo at the time, perhaps the reason for Stoudemire’s dominance had something to do with the presence of Yi Jianlin at power forward in Milwaukee’s starting five.
On this occasion it was Steve Nash who truly set the game alight with a 37 point and 10 assist showing, but in 40 minutes of action Stoudemire was efficient and active making an equally important contribution to the game’s final outcome.
Amar’e finished up with 19 points on 6-8 shooting from the field and 7-7 from the free throw line, with 12 rebounds, three blocks, two steals and an assist thrown in for good measure.
Next: #1
1. Milwaukee Bucks 114, Phoenix Suns 122 – January 12, 2008
Also in January of 2008, but this time on his home court in Phoenix, Amar’e Stoudemire would record the highest points total of any of his matchups with the Bucks throughout his career.
Andrew Bogut put on a dominant inside performance of his own with 29 points and 11 rebounds but Stoudemire still managed to do enough for his Suns to have the last laugh.
Steve Nash once again outscored Stoudemire on this occasion, a testament to not just how good Nash was but also how consistent. The Canadian finished the game with 35 points on a night when the Suns required the very best from both of their stars to overcome Milwaukee.
Stoudemire was good for 31 points of his own, while making 12 of his 16 field goal attempts, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing three assists and swatting away two of Milwaukee’s shots.
Next: The 50 Greatest Milwaukee Bucks Ever
History may not be as kind to Amar’e Stoudemire as his talent deserved, but he certainly left his mark on the league and there’s never a bad time to remind ourselves of just how special he once was.