Jermaine O’Neal hurt, Shaquille O’Neal could play against Miami Heat
Boston Celtics centre Jermaine O’Neal missed the entire second half of their 89-87 loss against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday 8 November because of a sore left knee.
O’Neal, who scored two points and grabbed three rebounds in 11 minutes of playing time, opted to stay in the locker room and said that he had “no explosion” because of his ailing knee and
that the Celtics will play better without him.
“Tonight I just didn’t feel that I could go,” said O’Neal. “I tried to give it a go, and when you feel like you’re helping the team and you feel like you’re not compromising the rest of your
season, then you play. I just felt like I had no explosion. I tried to go for a layup one time and just could not get off the floor.”
Despite admitting that his knee is making it difficult for him to block shots and grab rebounds, the 32-year-old centre said that he will be ready to suit up for the Celtics in their game
against the Miami Heat on Thursday 11 November. “With two days of rest, I think that’ll help,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shaquille O’Neal will likely play in their second showdown with the star-studded Heat after missing their last five games with a bruised right knee.
“Not yet, but I’m close,” said O’Neal, who will wear a knee brace that was specially designed for him by team trainer Ed Lacerte. “Just a little bit more and I’ll be ready; I want to make
sure I can do the things I need to.”
Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers is also open with the possibility of playing the four-time-champion centre, although he’ll still consult their trainer whether he is already fit to play
or not.
The Celtics, whose five-game winning run was snapped by the Mavericks, will try to bounce back against Miami, who are eager to get back at them. The Celtics spoiled the debut of LeBron James
and Chris Bosh in a Heat uniform with a season-opening 88-80 win on 26 October.
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