Doc Rivers has confirmed that their big man Shaquille O'neal will play in game 3 of their 2011 NBA Eastern Conference Finals series against the very determined Miami Heat. Shaq has recovered from a hyper extended calf injury. The Heat has beaten then twice in the series. They need to win game 3 or else they will be in the brink of elimination. Shaq was retained by the Celtics because of his fine showing in the eliminations. They also traded Kendrick Perkins because they believe in Shaq. Shaq will provide the needed defense against James that Kristic can't give.
The Boston Herald said:
“The daily, and tiresome, Shaquille O’Neal watch may finally be nearing its end. Before Game 1 of the Celtics’ series with the Miami Heat [Sunday], coach Doc Rivers, nearly guaranteed that Shaq, who is inactive [in Game 1], will play in either Game 2 or 3. The O’Neal updates have been a daily occurrence for the past three months and despite numerous positive updates, O’Neal has remained sidelined (except for a five-minute stretch in early April) … ‘He’s getting very close,’ Rivers said. ‘Honestly, we had to actually make the decision today so that’s better than what we had to do in the past. He’s getting close. Maybe next game. If not, I would say, for sure, Game 3.’ That’s the most definitive timetable Rivers has provided, but O’Neal still is having some issues with his right calf and Achilles tendon.”
If you want to get a preview on how Shaq will affect the flow of this series, here's a video on how he plays for the Celtics.
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