O’Neal Won’t Return Friday

Miami Heat center Shaquille O’Neal will sit out his second straight game, Friday night at Memphis, because of a stomach ailment, the team said.

O’Neal didn’t practice Monday or play in Miami’s victory over Chicago on Tuesday, and has since been diagnosed with an infection that is affecting his stomach. He was examined at a Miami hospital but not admitted, Coach Stan Van Gundy said.

“They think everything will be fine,” Van Gundy said. “They got some fluids into him. He’s already feeling a little bit better, but he’s got some sort of infection and it will take a couple of days to clear up.”

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Houston Rocket forward Juwan Howard will miss the rest of the season because of a viral infection in his heart, the Houston Chronicle reported on its website.

Sidelined the last three weeks by a sprained right knee, Howard had an infection that could keep him from physical activity for the next four to six months, the newspaper reported, citing team sources. Though the infection has been cured, doctors refused to clear him for this season, the newspaper reported.

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Dallas Maverick forward Dirk Nowitzki was listed as day to day after an MRI exam on his right knee revealed no damage. He was hurt in Tuesday’s victory over Orlando when he was undercut by Andre Barrett.

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Cleveland Cavalier center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has a dislocated right ring finger and will be re-evaluated after the swelling subsides, the team said. He was injured in Tuesday’s loss at Indiana.