Indiana could make a serious run if O'Neal plays well. O'Neal hasn't played in over a month MIAMI -- All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal was activated by the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, more than a month after he injured his right shoulder so severely that the team once feared his season was over. O'Neal wasn't in the starting lineup for the Pacers' game in Miami, but entered with 2:52 remaining in the first quarter. To make room on the roster, Indiana placed guard Jamaal Tinsley on the injured list with a bruised left foot. Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said before the game it was important to get O'Neal worked back in with the playoffs looming. O'Neal leads the team in scoring at 24.8 points a game. "You hope he can get back for two or three games before the playoffs, just to get some conditioning and some rhythm back," Carlisle said. The move was announced about an hour before tip-off, and O'Neal wasn't available for pregame comment. The injury, originally diagnosed as a partial dislocation, happened March 3 when his right arm was pulled back by Denver's Francisco Elson on a drive to the basket. O'Neal -- who told reporters on March 18 that the injury would need "six or seven months" to fully heal -- missed the Pacers' next 22 games. In his absence, Indiana went 15-7 and climbed from a sub-.500 mark back into contention for home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. "This was a very difficult injury," Carlisle said. "We've been through a lot with it and we just want to make sure he's ready. It's his decision." link
