Jermaine O'Neal missed Miami's preseason loss to Orlando on Wednesday night with an injured left foot.
He immediately squashed concern that his absence may have been due to his balky knees.
"Not the knees," O'Neal told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "it's not the knees."
With the Heat expected to have Thursday off, O'Neal insists that he'll return to practice with his teammates on Friday.
"I'll be back at practice ready to go on Friday," he said. "I have no doubt in my mind that I'll be ready to rock and roll at a high level come Sunday."
O'Neal has been limited since being kicked in the left foot during the second day of training camp.