Shaquille O’Neal still out but travels with the Boston Celtics
After missing their past three games, Boston Celtics centre Shaquille O'Neal travelled with the team, but the veteran centre missed their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday
7 November because he is still recovering from a bruised knee.
According to Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, he was surprised when the four-time champion centre boarded the team plane, although it remains to be seen whether the 38-year old centre will
play or not in their current four-game road trip.
“When I got on the plane, Shaq came on the plane,” Rivers said before the Celtics started their road trip with a 92-83 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. “That's how much decision I made
in it. I don't even ask. I never do. If he is healthy, he comes. If he's not, he doesn't.”
Rivers also added that whether O’Neal can play or not does not depend on him, since their trainer, Eddie Lacerte would be the one to decide about it, but the 18-year veteran big man, who
averaged 8.7 points in three games, said that he is getting closer to his return, as evidenced by his travelling with the team.
“It’s just one little spot, once that goes away, it’ll be all right,” O’Neal said, who sustained the injury on 29 October when Amar’e Stoudemire crashed into his right shin. “I'm always going
on the trip, unless it's one of those 'out for four-to-five weeks' diagnosis. But I am close. I just want to be out there at least at 80 per cent with the guys.”
Without Shaquille, the Celtics started with Jermaine O’Neal at the centre spot and Turkish Semih Erden as his backup, and the move is currently working well for Boston, who have won their
fifth-straight game on Sunday night.
“The guys are playing great right now,” Shaq said on the current run of the Celtics. “Everybody’s flowing, everybody’s playing good. Hopefully, the engine will be running well and every component,
every part; will be at the same pace.”
The Celtics will gun for their sixth-straight win, and their seventh overall, when they travel to Dallas on Monday 8 November to face the Mavericks, who started the season with a 3-2 record.
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