O'Neal gets start -- and hurt -- in Heat debut

MIAMI -- Jermaine O'Neal was hurt in his first game with the Miami Heat midway through the third quarter Wednesday night after getting hit in his right eye.

O'Neal was struck by the Minnesota Timberwolves' Mike Miller, who was called for a charging foul. O'Neal stayed down for a moment, then was helped into the Heat locker room, dabbing a towel at some blood coming out of his nose.

X-rays were negative, but O'Neal had some blurred vision the rest of the night. He returned with 4:22 left in the fourth quarter, but Minnesota went on to win 111-104.

"Just trying to take a charge and help my team," O'Neal said after the game. "I'll be fine."

O'Neal said he would be evaluated again by an eye doctor Thursday, but did not believe the injury to be serious.

It was a rough night all around for the Heat, health-wise.

Less than a minute after O'Neal got hurt, Heat forward James Jones joined his former Indiana teammate in the locker room with an injured right hand. X-rays on Jones were negative, and the team diagnosed it as a bruise. He did not return.

O'Neal was in the starting lineup, one day after practicing with his new team for the first time. O'Neal, who was acquired along with Jamario Moon from Toronto last week for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, started at center.

"We only have 30 games left," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game. "We need to start the process right now. Let's get it going."

Moon was active for the game, but not in the starting lineup. He entered at the start of the second quarter and didn't score in 5 minutes.