Knee injury might sideline Howard
Trailing 1-0 in series, Rockets prepare for more adversity.
As Houston Rockets — center Dwight Howard walked slowly and carefully to a seat on the Oracle Center baseline, his left knee still aching as it had been since Josh Smith crashed into it in Tuesday’s first quarter, teammates went through another practice without him.
It’s something they’re used to, with Howard missing half their regular-season games, al ong with several other significant injuries.
Their fortitude — which has evolved into a strength — seems certain to be tested for Game 2 on Thursday night, with the Golden State Warriors leading the Western Conference finals 1-0 and Howard likely to be out or diminished with a sprained knee.
The Rockets now look at a seas on filled with injuries as preparation for deal ing with another.
“Throughout the year, we’ve been through pretty much everything,” said Rockets forward Trevor Ariza, the
only Rocket to have played in every game. “Injuries, players in and out of the lineup all the time, we just have to continue to find ways to win. We have
responded well when we lose a player.”
Howard, who missed 41 regular-season games, had an MRI and underwent treatment on his sprained knee Wednesday, with more planned for Thursday. He was listed as questionable and said he could not have played Wednesday — although he has “no doubt” he’ll return at some point to the series.
“I would have to sit,” Howard said of his chances to play if he feels the same Thursday. “I have to listen to my body. Nobody can understand an injury but the person who is injured. It’s going to be how I feel. If I feel I can tolerate it and go out and play with it, then I will. But my career is the most important thing. I want to do what I can to help this team, but I cannot help the team if I’m hurt.”
His teammates, however, spoke as if they did not expect Howard to return Thursday. That might not be an indication of his prognosis as much as their routine of preparing the worst and hoping for the best, but it returned to their theme of the season to forge ahead despite a run of injuries that began in the second game and has continued ever since.
Point guard Pat Beverley, who would be matched up with MVP Stephen Curry, and forward Donatas Motiejunas, who had been a key to the Rockets’ success without Howard, are out for the season. But the Rockets went into the series hoping Howard could be the force inside that he could not be in January against the Warriors, soon before he was shut down for more than two months.
“We need Dwight,” Rockets forward Corey Brewer said. “We need him big-time. But we’re a team. If he can’t play, we have to all pick it up.
“We hope he plays, but if he doesn’t play, we’ve played without him all year, and we’ve just got to be ready to go.”
The Rockets’ defense has slipped from its regular-season levels, but it has crashed with Howard out. They’ve allowed 104.7 points per 100 possessions with Howard on the court; 111.7 with him on the bench.
“There’s no excuses,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “We’re going to have to play harder. We’re going to have to play tougher. We’re going to have to make plays down the stretch.”