O'Neal plays through the pain Forward starts despite medical staff telling him he should sit out with sore knee By Mike Wells [email protected] He has an occasional limp. He grimaces when he comes down awkwardly on it. Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal's left knee has bothered him for some time, but the All-Star doesn't want to take time off even though the team's medical staff told him he should sit out Tuesday's game. "This is the first time the doctors told me not to play and I played since I hurt my knee," he said. "I have a lot of pride. I wear wins and losses on my sleeve." O'Neal added more pain to his knee when he hyperextended it against the Toronto Raptors on Friday. O'Neal, who had 28 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, six blocks and seven turnovers in Tuesday's 103-92 loss to the Phoenix Suns, said the best way for the Pacers to win games is with him on the court. "At this point, as much as I would like to take a day off to get all the swelling out, I just want to win," he said. "I want to be in the payoffs and have a chance. It's a double-edge sword. You pay the price by playing, but ultimately, emotionally, I can't handle not playing." Tinsley out with foot injury Pacers starting point guard Jamaal Tinsley missed the game with a sore left foot. Tinsley has been battling an assortment of injuries on his left leg -- foot, shin, knee and thigh -- for a week. "I know he got hit in the shin and it stuck around," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "He got hit in the knee the other night. It started in the Milwaukee game (Feb. 21). He played in Toronto. He hasn't practiced for three days since. We've been trying to nurse him back to health." Tinsley, who has dealt with injuries the past three years, came into the season wanting to play all 82 games. Tuesday's game was the second he has missed. He missed more than 30 games by the time the Pacers played their 56th game last season. Darrell Armstrong started his third game of the season in place of Tinsley. Playing heavy minutes The 38-year-old Armstrong thought about it, then took a guess at how long it's been since he played nearly 39 minutes in a game. "Probably about my 10th year," said Armstrong, who is in his 13th season. "I'm all right. My body feels good." Armstrong, filling in for Tinsley, spent the night defending Phoenix point guard Steve Nash and running the team's offense. Armstrong finished with 17 points, including five 3-pointers, and six assists. Armstrong's previous high in minutes this season was 34 against Chicago on Dec. 11. Don't see it happening News spread around Conseco Fieldhouse about Dallas owner Mark Cuban having interest in Reggie Miller for the Mavericks' vacant roster spot. Cuban mentioned Miller's name to reporters on Monday. Miller, who didn't win a title in 18 years with the Pacers, has said in the past he would never chase an NBA title. Miller is currently an analyst for TNT. "I don't see Reggie Miller coming back, particularly in a non-Pacers uniform . . .," Carlisle said. "I know Mark Cuban has a lot of money, but I don't know how much he can offer a guy with his team over the (salary) cap." Call Star reporter Mike Wells at (317) 444-6053. = = = = = 大家都辛苦了… 雖然沒有人不想贏，但有傷的還是好好休息養傷吧！ (天音：有傷就不打的話會有人在場上嗎？囧rz) --

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