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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 9:16 a.m., Saturday, November 22, 2008

NBA: Raptors O'Neal day-to-day with sprained left knee

Associated Press

TORONTO — Raptors forward Jermaine O'Neal did not practice Saturday and was listed as day-to-day after straining his surgically repaired left knee against New Jersey on Friday night.

O'Neal was scheduled to receive treatment twice today and could play Sunday when Toronto hosts defending NBA-champion Boston.

"We've already made contingency plans if he can't go," Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said.

New Jersey forward Sean Williams was assessed a flagrant foul for pulling O'Neal down by the jersey as he went up for a shot under the basket in the fourth quarter of an overtime loss to the Nets.

O'Neal stayed down for a minute, then walked gingerly to the bench. He returned after a timeout but missed both free throws before hobbling to the locker room and going to a local hospital for tests.

"First and foremost, you're worried," Toronto forward Chris Bosh said. "It was awkward. We're fortunate it wasn't as bad as it looked."

O'Neal is averaging 12.9 points and 9.3 rebounds. He missed 40 games last season because of lingering pain from a torn ligament in his left knee that was surgically repaired the previous summer. He joined Toronto in an offseason trade that sent guard T.J. Ford to Indiana.

A Raptors spokesman said Toronto general manager Bryan Colangelo had asked the NBA office to review the play, but all flagrant fouls are automatically reviewed by the league.