Shaquille O’Neal improving, Jermaine O’Neal could miss rest of road trip
Boston Celtics centre Shaquille O’Neal will likely make his comeback after missing his last five games due to a bruised right knee, but the Celtics will still be shorthanded after Jermaine
O’Neal declared that he could miss the rest of their current road trip.
According to Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, both men will still be listed on a day-to-day status when they take on the Miami Heat on Thursday, 11 November, but Shaquille O'Neal might make
his return.
“I think there's a fairly good chance that Shaquille will go. Then Jermaine, I am not so sure. We knew it would happen. There's nothing we can do about it. Obviously, it kills your rhythm,
to keep going in and out, and a lot of times, neither one of them are practicing.”
Shaquille O’Neal, who averaged 8.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in three games this season, also confirmed that his knee is getting better and he could return in their rematch with the Heat.
“The knee was a little sore last night, but I was sore all over, I'll be all right,” said Shaquille O’Neal. “I don't have that pain any more, just some little knots in my calf. I'll be all
right.”
Jermaine O’Neal, on the other hand, expressed his frustration after the condition of his knee did not improve
after two days of rest, and he said that he would need a lot of rest and might sit out the remaining three games of their four-game road trip.
“To be honest, the knee feels the same,” said Jermaine O’Neal. “It's coming to the point where, I may have to just take time off. If I don't play tonight, I probably won't play anymore this
trip, just to give it some time.”
Rivers is also not discounting the possibility of playing without both men, and he said that they would likely start rookie centre Semih Erden, who has been bothered by an ailing shoulder.
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