Howard leaves biggest hole on injury-riddled roster
Just as things seem to be looking up for the Rockets, they suffer a big blow.
The Rockets lost center Dwight Howard to a left ankle sprain in the first minute of Wednesday’s night’s 123-114 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Howard will miss Friday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, and there is no word on when he will return.
Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Howard was having tests, including an MRI, on Thursday. Bickerstaff was unsure when Howard would be back in practice or ready to play in a game.
“I really have no idea,” Bickerstaff said. “We will have to wait and see.”
Before Wednesday, Howard was in a stretch in which he had elevated his game. He had 10 doubledoubles in a row, with the Rockets winning six of those games.
Center Clint Capela said playing without Howard is going to be a big challenge.
“We are going to have to crash the boards the whole game, because when Dwight is there, he is doing an impressive job on rebounding,” Capela said. “Without Dwight, I am going to have to step up to protect the rim. I have to step up to rebound. I have to step up in communication, too, on defense. That’s what he does when he is on the court with us.”
Howard went out in the first minute against Detroit and never returned. Capela said the frontcourt players never really recovered.
“We have to do a better job of communicating,” Capela said. “Dwight leads us when he is in the game.”
Sizable problems
Howard isn’t the only big man out for the Rockets. Forward Donatas Motiejunas is still sidelined with back soreness. On Thursday, Bickerstaff said there was no return date.
“We are taking it slow. We want to get him back to 100 percent,” Bickerstaff said. “With him, it’s big picture. We don’t want to bring him back too soon. We don’t want anymore setbacks. It’s open-ended right now.”
Forward Montrezl Harrell is questionable for Friday’s game with a right shoulder contusion, leaving the Rockets with Terrence Jones, Trevor Ariza and Capela in the frontcourt if Harrell can’t play.
“It’s going to be tough,” Capela said.
Guards Pat Beverley (ankle) and Jason Terry (knee) also are questionable for the game.
Guard James Harden said the Rockets will just have to figure out how to win with what they have.
“Things like this are going to happen to teams,” Harden said. “The guys that get in the game, this is a good opportunity for them to show what they can do and to take advantage of those minutes.”
The injuries have come at a bad time for the Rockets.
After the Rockets host Milwaukee, they host Dallas on Sunday, then play at New Orleans, San Antonio and Oklahoma City in a five-day span next week.
After winning five games in a row this month in what looked to be a turnaround, the Rockets will head into one of the toughest stretches of the season with a two-game losing streak and a mountain of injuries.
Must pull together
Despite that, Bickerstaff said the players have to be ready.
“This is what we have to work with,” Bickerstaff said. “We need a lot from everyone. The bigs have got to rebound and protect the paint. They have to finish around the basket. They have to be productive. We can’t afford to not have anybody step up. We need them every moment they are on the floor.”