The Celtics are in the midst of one of the season's toughest road trips, but for center Jermaine O'Neal, that trip has been cut short.
O'Neal, who left the Celtics' loss to the Mavericks on Monday night with a sore knee and hasn't played since, has been sent back to Boston. The Celtics' official Twitter feed has announced that he won't play Saturday, when the team finishes its four-game road trip in Memphis.
O'Neal has battled a litany of injuries over the course of his first two months with the Celtics, including minor ailments of the hamstring, wrist and back. He missed four of the Celtics' eight preseason games and has sat out twice in the regular season.
In the games he has played, his minutes have been limited and he's produced very little. O'Neal is averaging 5.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 17.7 minutes per game.
It's assumed that Shaquille O'Neal, who returned Thursday from a bruised knee, will start in place of the other O'Neal against the Grizzlies on Saturday.
