Team doctors have instructed New York Knicks Head Coach Mike Woodson to cut Amar’e Stoudemire’s minutes after the power forward experienced soreness in his surgically repaired left knee in Monday’s loss to Boston.

Neither Woodson nor Stoudemire termed the latest development a “setback” in Stoudemire’s attempt to return from Oct. 31 left knee surgery.

Woodson did add that he “shouldn’t have” played Stoudemire 28 minutes in the Knicks’ 102-96 loss to the Celtics. That was a season-high for Stoudemire, who has played four games since coming back from the debridement procedure.

Woodson said Stoudemire would play between 20 and 23 minutes Thursday at Indiana. He will come off the bench for the Knicks (23-11), just as he’s done in the previous four games. Stoudemire’s status for Friday’s game against Chicago is uncertain because it’s the second game of a back-to-back.

via Ian Begley of ESPN New York