Hooped Up

Jermaine O’Neal was nearly in tears after the Pacers fell to the Magic by a final score of 95-87 on national television Friday.

“It’s just disappointing to lose the way we have been losing,” O’Neal said. “It’s embarrassing; it’s a lot of things.”

O’Neal was asked about wanting to be traded, a question likely to continue to come up as the Pacers move closer to missing the playoffs for the first time since 1996-97.

After pausing for 10 seconds to take in the question, O’Neal put a towel over his face to hide his emotions and ended the interview session. O’Neal has said a number of times since last summer that he plans to sit down with CEO Donnie Walsh and president Larry Bird at the end of the season to address future plans.

Indianapolis Star