Shaquille O'Neal is ready to put the Heat on his back.

O'Neal, expected to shoulder the offensive load until guard Dwyane Wade returns in mid- or late-November, scored 17 points in 17 minutes Tuesday against San Antonio.

"Shaq did Shaq things," Spurs' forward Tim Duncan said.

And O'Neal, who said he "tweaked" his bruised left thigh, had a message for those who aren't sure he's ready physically to carry the Heat.

"I do what I do, how I do it," O'Neal said, "and it always gets done."