Though Garnett's situation isn't nearly as dire as the one for Stoudemire, who may be out for the season, it might be for a Celtics team chasing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The NBA's 2007-08 defensive player of the year left Boston's 90-85 loss in Utah on Thursday with a strained right knee.

He returned to Boston on Friday to undergo an MRI, and on Saturday the Celtics (44-12) announced he'll miss two to three weeks with a strained muscle behind the knee.

The earliest Garnett could return would likely be March 6, when Boston hosts Cleveland in a game that could go a long way toward determining the Eastern Conference's top seed.

Meanwhile, the Celtics, who allow the second-fewest points per game (92.0) in the league behind the Cavaliers, will be in for a stiff test against the Suns. After hanging 140 and 142 points on the Clippers on back-to-back nights, Phoenix didn't miss a beat on Friday in its first game without Stoudemire in a 140-118 home win over Oklahoma City.

Stoudemire was the subject of multiple trade rumors prior to Thursday's deadline, but Phoenix (31-23) opted not to move the four-time All-Star, instead hoping to make a run to the postseason from the ninth spot in the West.

On the night before the trade deadline, Stoudemire scored 42 points but suffered a blow to the head, aggravating an injury to his right eye. On Friday, he had surgery to repair a partially detached retina - an injury that will likely prevent him from resuming physical activity for about eight weeks.

"He was really discouraged," Suns general manager Steve 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."

New coach Alvin Gentry inserted guard Leandro Barbosa in the starting lineup against Oklahoma City, and the move paid off. The former Sixth Man of the Year scored a career-high 41 points as the Suns rolled to their third straight easy win since Gentry replaced the fired Terry Porter.

"I love to play running up and down," said Barbosa, who has averaged 26.0 points since Gentry took over. "I think everybody does."

Gentry promised a more up-tempo style than the defensive-minded Porter, and it's worked against the Clippers and Thunder. Phoenix became the first team since the Portland Trail Blazers in 1990 to score 140 in three straight games.

"I can promise you we are not going to get 140 Sunday, not against Boston," Gentry said.

With Garnett out, the Suns will likely try to get Shaquille O'Neal heavily involved Sunday, and O'Neal's looked good in his last three games. He's averaged 17.7 points on 76.7 percent shooting in about 26 minutes per contest.

O'Neal had 16 points in Phoenix's first meeting with the Celtics on Jan. 19, but the Suns never had a chance. Rajon Rondo had a game-high 23 points and Boston raced to a 30-point halftime lead en route to a 104-87 victory.

The Celtics are 9-0 when Rondo scores at least 18 points.

Barbosa has been a non-factor in the Suns' last three games against Boston, averaging 2.3 points.