Still hampered by a thigh injury, Miami Heat center Shaquille O?Neal told the Miami Herald on Wednesday that he was unsure as to whether he will be able to play in Monday?s Eastern Conference Finals match-up against the Detroit Pistons.

"It's not that it got worse," O'Neal said. "It's just that it's there, and I need it not to be there. ... I'm trying to get myself as close to 100% as possible."

Detroit?s Ben Wallace is skeptical and is planning on Shaq being out on the court for Game 1.

"He'll be all right and out there playing," predicted Wallace, who had 11 rebounds and three blocks in the Pistons' 88-79 victory Thursday night over Indiana to advance to the East finals.