MIAMI — Miami forward Jermaine O’Neal sat out against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night with a bruised right hip, something he described as a minor ailment that shouldn’t keep him sidelined for long in the Heat’s postseason push.
O’Neal had been bothered by the hip for several days, starting when he tried to take a charge last week against the Boston Celtics.
He aggravated the injury in Sunday’s win over the Detroit Pistons, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, and after a pregame huddle with team trainers and physicians, the decision was made to give O’Neal the night off.
“It’s definitely just one game, just trying to calm it down, just because it’s affecting the way I move a little bit and jump and stuff like that,” O’Neal said. “So that’s basically it. It’s nothing to be worried about.”
The Heat entered Monday 3½ games behind Atlanta in the race for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, and 1½ games up on Philadelphia for fifth place. After Monday, Miami will have 12 games remaining.
And if O’Neal gets his way, he’ll play in all of them.
“We’re not worried about it at all,” O’Neal said. “It’s just a precautionary thing. Obviously, I would like to play and the team would like for me to play, but it’s the best-case scenario just for this particular day.”
O’Neal has averaged 14.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 17 games since being acquired from Toronto. Miami began the day in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
He’s also second in charges taken on the Heat, despite not coming to the team until past the midway point of the season.
“I’m one of the rare big guys in this league, I’m almost sure, I may even lead the league in charges taken (among forward-centers),” O’Neal said. “You don’t find a whole lot of that, who really puts his body in harm’s way to protect the basket. Sometimes, the negative to that is you’re going to get a couple of nicks and bruises.”
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