Said head coach Doc Rivers prior to today’s game: “If this was a playoff game, Shaq would play, let’s just be honest, but it’s not, and we’re going to need him in the playoffs and we want him to be right and healthy. This gives him a chance to get all the other things that were ailing him right, too. Look, he’s 38 years old, I’m sure you guys who have been to that age understand, you wake up and your body aches, it’s just tough. He’ll get right, we know that, we just want him to be right, and have the strength to play a number of games in a row where he can help, instead of just four or five games and then out.”

Glenn Davis and Semih Erden will be called upon to replace Shaq’s minutes and did a nice job limiting Dwight Howard to one second half basket in today’s game.