Jermaine O'Neal returned from a long layoff to help Indiana secure its last playoff spot two seasons ago. It may be too late for the big man to help the Pacers get back to the postseason this time.

With O'Neal doing his best to provide a boost, the Pacers look to bolster their faint playoff hopes when they open a home-and-home series with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.

Indiana (31-44) is four games behind eighth-place Atlanta in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers have seven games remaining, including a matchup with the Hawks on Tuesday night.

"We've got to try to win all seven of them and hope Atlanta loses some," Indiana center Jeff Foster said.

The Pacers' last postseason appearance came in 2005-06, when O'Neal missed 22 games with a torn left groin before returning for Indiana's final 16 games. He averaged 22.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks to help the Pacers win five of their last six contests and secure the sixth seed.

O'Neal doesn't seem healthy enough to give Indiana that type of performance this season, and it's likely too late for the Pacers to make the playoffs, anyway. O'Neal has come off the bench the past two games after missing 33 straight with a bone bruise in his left knee, and has totaled 21 points and five boards since returning.

O'Neal had 12 points in the Pacers' 92-77 loss to Boston on Wednesday night. Indiana was held to 35.6 percent shooting and its second-lowest point total of the season after scoring 100 or more in each of its previous nine games.

The Pacers will now try to bounce back on the road, where they have lost two straight and 20 of 25. They fell 104-92 at Milwaukee on Jan. 24.

The Bucks (26-48) had also been alive for a playoff spot in the weak East, but were eliminated from contention with Atlanta's win over Toronto on Wednesday night.

Milwaukee won that night, beating Washington 110-109 on Ramon Sessions' 19-foot jumper at the buzzer. Bucks rookie forward Yi Jianlian, however, sprained his left knee in the first half and is scheduled for an MRI.

Yi, averaging 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds, has been held back by injuries over the second half of the season. He missed five games last month with a sprained right wrist and one game with a sprained left ankle. He has also suffered from a right shoulder strain this season.

Sessions, also a rookie, hasn't been used much, but he had career highs of eight points and eight rebounds versus the Wizards.

"He's playing hard, and when he gets in there it's a fresh look for us," Milwaukee center Andrew Bogut said of Sessions. "He doesn't want to go back to the D-League."

Bogut had 17 points, seven rebounds and three blocks against Indiana on Jan. 24. He was held to 13 points as the Bucks shot 38.0 percent (38-for-100) from the field in Milwaukee's 128-106 loss in the teams' other meeting this season.

The teams conclude their season series Sunday night at Indiana.