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The Houston Rockets fell one game down to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals Tuesday night. Even though the Rockets managed to find success without Dwight Howard for 41 games during the regular season, there is no question they are in trouble if the center is unable to play a significant amount of time in the series due to a bruised left knee.
Howard endured the injury during the first quarter after teammate Josh Smith swung into his leg after missing a shot. Despite returning to the court at various times throughout the contest, it was obvious Howard was unable to perform at a productive level. In fact, he went 0-for-2 from the field in just nine minutes in the second half.
“It’s very painful,” Howard said after the loss, according to ESPN. “I tried to play it off as much as possible, but I couldn’t give my teammates what I needed to give them.”
An argument can be made that the Rockets will be just fine without Howard, as evidence of the team clinching the No. 2 seed in the conference with Howard sidelined for two and a half months. With that said, his 16.4 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.38 blocks per game in 13 contests during the postseason is production the Rockets cannot go without if they expect to reach the NBA Finals.
An MRI on his knee on Wednesday should reveal the severity of the injury, which will give Houston a better idea of what they can expect from Howard going forward. If he will be unable to suit up for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, head coach Kevin McHale will make sure his players do not use it as an excuse to slow down their performance. Howard makes the team better, but there is certainly enough talent on the roster to be competitive against the Warriors.
Michael Terrill is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelTerrill, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
