Jermaine O’Neal is expected to be back in the lineup when the Indiana Pacers open their four-game Western trip Tuesday in Denver.


O’Neal has missed the past three games and four overall with knee and calf injuries. An MRI taken Saturday revealed a slight tear in his calf, but the knee was “stable,” according to coach Jim O’Brien.


The Pacers turned in impressive victories over New Orleans and Dallas without O’Neal, and nearly defeated the Cavaliers on Sunday.


What does that mean to O’Brien?


“That we can be a pretty good basketball team,” he said. “We’re missing a very, very important piece of our team. It’s given guys like David Harrison a chance to really step forward. It’s a matter of him getting his leg healthy and conditioning himself to play at a (high) level.”


O’Brien said there should be no adjustment process when O’Neal returns.


“Zero,” he said. “We have played exactly the way we play, with Jermaine on or off the court. You can take tapes of the games he’s played and you wouldn’t see any difference whatsoever.”