NEW YORK — Amare Stoudemire needs surgery on his right knee and is expected to miss six weeks, a stunning blow to the New York Knicks as they chase the Atlantic Division title.

Stoudemire, who had been playing well off the bench, will have the procedure to remove tissue within the week, the Knicks said Saturday before their game against the Utah Jazz. Stoudemire missed the first 30 games after having the same surgery, called a debridement, on his left knee during the preseason. He returned on New Year’s Day and has averaged 14.2 points in 29 games as a reserve.

The Knicks were also without Carmelo Anthony, sitting out his third straight game with a sore and stiff right knee. But the Stoudemire news was a surprise, since there was no indication there had been any problem with his surgically repaired knees until Saturday morning.