Indiana Pacers forward Jermaine O?Neal made his return to the lineup in Monday?s 105-85 victory over the Miami Heat.
O?Neal had missed the last 33 games with a sore left knee but returned to practice on March 19.
The six-time All-Star came off the bench and played 17 minutes, scoring nine points on 3-of-4 shooting to go with two rebounds.
The 6-11 O?Neal underwent surgery on the knee last April and has clearly been affected by the injury, averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in 33 games this year - numbers that have declined from previous seasons.
Indiana (31-43) has now won six of its last eight contests, and are currently three games behind Atlanta (34-40) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
