CLEVELAND — Boston's Glen Davis denies he intentionally tried to hurt Shaquille O'Neal in a game earlier this season, calling the accusations "crazy."

O'Neal is expected to miss the rest of Cleveland's regular season after tearing a ligament in his thumb when Davis blocked his shot in a game in Boston on Feb. 25. After the block, replays seemed to catch Davis squeezing O'Neal's hand on Cleveland's next possession.

Davis says he was simply battling O'Neal for position and didn't know the hand was injured until O'Neal called a timeout and said his thumb was broke as he walked toward the bench.

Davis texted O'Neal after the incident and says O'Neal responded, "Don't worry, I'll be back."

Both played at LSU. Davis calls O'Neal one of his favorite players growing up, and the day he met O'Neal for the first time was "the highlight of my life."