Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal missed Thursday night's victory over the 76ers to rest his injured right knee.

O'Neal asked Boston's medical staff to administer a pain-killer that would allow him to play against Philadelphia.

He reluctantly sat out for the sixth time this season when the team's medical staff refused to treat the injury with a pain-killer.

O'Neal initially injured the knee a late-October collision with New York's Amar'e Stoudemire.

"I never thought this day would come," O'Neal admitted.
"Especially for me. When I was young, I thought I could play through anything. ... I could get stabbed, go to the hospital, and come back ready to play. Sometimes nick-knack injuries don't go away.

"The thing about this team, this staff, they don't want you to rush back. I'm from the old school, so I'm like, 'Shoot it up,' give me some drugs. But the focus is on 1825."

That year references is Shaq shorthand for winning another title this season, which would mean 18 world titles for Boston; 2 for the Big Three and coach Doc Rivers; and 5 for O'Neal's cumulative total.