Minneapolis, MN (My Sportsbook) - Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal missed the team's shootaround on Tuesday morning after flying to South Carolina to attend his grandfather's wake. O'Neal, who scored 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Lakers' 117-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of their quarterfinal series, had not arrived in Minneapolis as of early Tuesday. "It's a family decision. He has to make that," Lakers coach Phil Jackson told the Los Angeles Times. "We anticipate he'll be here for tonight's game." Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 39 points in Game 1, and he expects the second half of Los Angeles' dynamic duo to be on the court for Game 2. "We're all praying for him and his family," Bryant told the newspaper. "When he gets back, we're sure he's going to be looking forward to Game 2." A spokesperson for the Lakers would not officially confirm O'Neal's status for tonight's game, but echoed Jackson's sentiments that he was likely to play. |
