O’Neal Is Hurt as Heat Falls Short

Shaquille O’Neal was on crutches. Jermaine O’Neal was celebrating.

A look at either told the story Thursday night.

Miami’s O’Neal left after spraining his right ankle midway through the fourth quarter of the Heat’s 105-102 loss to the visiting Indiana Pacers. Indiana’s O’Neal scored 27 points, six in the final three minutes, to help the Pacers recover from wasting a 14-point second-half lead.

Shaquille O’Neal landed awkwardly on Ron Artest’s foot while rebounding. X-rays were negative. O’Neal had 18 points and six rebounds.

“He’s probably going to miss some time,” Heat Coach Stan Van Gundy said.

Ron Artest scored 22 points for Indiana, which has won 13 of its last 14 regular-season meetings with Miami.

Dwyane Wade had 31 points and 10 assists for the Heat, but his potentially score-tying three-point try rattled out as the final buzzer sounded.

With Alonzo Mourning at center and using a three-guard lineup, Miami rallied by holding Indiana without a field goal for nine minutes after trailing, 73-59, with 6:34 left in the third quarter.