Heat’s O’Neal Practices, Likely to Play Thursday

Shaquille O’Neal, who has sat out Miami’s last three games because of a stomach virus, practiced Tuesday and is expected to play Thursday at Philadelphia.

He declined to comment after the workout.

Miami is 1-2 in its last three games without the center. With O’Neal, though, the Heat have been virtually unbeatable for weeks. Since Feb. 3, excluding the game in Chicago where O’Neal played less than two minutes because of an injury, Miami is 20-0 when its usual starting five -- O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, Damon Jones, Udonis Haslem and Eddie Jones -- are in uniform, winning those games by an average of 13.5 points.

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Chicago Bull forward Andres Nocioni was suspended for one game without pay by the NBA for elbowing Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince in the forehead in Monday’s game.

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Denver Nugget forward Kenyon Martin was fined $7,500 by the NBA for verbally abusing officials and failing to leave the court in a timely manner after his third-quarter ejection Monday against Golden State.

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Indiana Pacer rookie center David Harrison underwent surgery on his left knee and will be sidelined for the rest of the season. Harrison was hurt against Miami on Feb. 23.... Longtime Sacramento King trainer Bill Jones died of cancer, the team announced. He was 69. Jones spent 23 seasons with the Kings before retiring in 1995.