<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Jermaine O'Neal sees Brian Grant and he has flashbacks. Not to happy days, necessarily, but to a formative time that started him on a path toward NBA fortune and fame. Grant, the Miami Heat veteran with the flowing dreadlocks, was one of the Portland players who adopted O'Neal when the Indiana Pacers' pivot man was struggling in his professional infancy. All these years later, they've changed teams, roles and hairstyles, but have remained close friends. That's why it's awkward for O'Neal to play against Grant in the second-round playoff series that resumes tonight with Game 3 at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. "I've seen him grow from the guy with the low cut to the twisties to the dreads," O'Neal said. "I know all about his hairstyles and his personality. We were so close-knit out there, we always got together. Our girlfriends and wives got together. It really helped me." Grant has seen growth from O'Neal, too, and not just in his hair. Eight years removed from his rookie season, O'Neal was a starter in the All-Star game, a second-team all-NBA selection and third-place finisher in the voting for the league's Most Valuable Player award for his performance in the regular season, when he averaged 20.1 points on 43 percent shooting, 10 rebounds and 2.55 blocks. He hasn't played at that level against the Heat, averaging 15 points on 31-percent shooting, eight rebounds and 1.5 blocks. But while he doesn't use his regard for Grant as an excuse for his play in the Pacers' two victories, he admits he's tweaked his mental approach. He talks less, for one thing. And he feels a bit guilty when the play becomes physical. "I have a ton of respect for him, on and off the court," O'Neal said. "It's tough to play against him right now because I know he's hurt and I'm banging him and he's banging me, but right now it's about the Indiana Pacers advancing."</div> <div align="center"><u>Full Story</u></div>
