Pacers’ O’Neal suffering groin, shoulder injuries

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Indiana Pacers all-star forward
Jermaine O’Neal is suffering from groin and shoulder injuries,
the team said on its website.

O’Neal limped off court in the fourth quarter of their
embarrassing 96-66 rout at Cleveland on Tuesday night.

It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Pacers, who
earlier on Tuesday had tried unsuccessfully to trade the
controversial Ron Artest to the Sacramento Kings, The
Indianapolis Star reported.

“(O’Neal) felt something pop in his groin and tweaked
something in his shoulder on one play, his bad shoulder from
last year,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told reporters after
Tuesday’s game.

“I’m just hoping that when he wakes up he isn’t feeling too
bad because he’s the cornerstone of our team,” Carlisle added.

“I heard it pop, obviously that’s not a good thing,” O’Neal
told The Star.

O’Neal is the Pacers’ leading scorer and rebounder,
averaging 20.9 points and 9.8 rebounds a game.

His injury comes as the reported deal to trade Artest to
the Kings failed to materialize.

“We do not have a deal and will not comment on any
premature reports regarding a trade involving Ron Artest,”
Pacers president Donnie Walsh said in a statement.

The comments came after Artest’s agent, Mark Stevens, had
told Wednesday’s edition of The Star that Artest’s trade to
Sacramento was awaiting league approval.

Artest was placed on the inactive list by the Pacers on
December 12 after saying he wanted to be traded. He missed most
of last season after being suspended for his role in a 2004
brawl at Detroit.

(Writing by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina)