Dwight Howard was a surprise late scratch for his return game to Los Angeles. In fact it was so shady people thought Howard was either avoiding Kobe Bryant or avoiding the media because of his child abuse case. Well it turns out Howard’s knee issue is a real problem and he even underwent platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment on the knee, in an attempt to speed up the healing process. Well nine-games later with Howard still sidelined and Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale says Dwight Howard won’t be back anytime soon.
via Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:
The Rockets’ hope that Dwight Howard could be close to returning from his strained right knee seemed to be fading.
McHale had previously said he hoped that Howard, who has been out since Nov. 19, might be ready to return in time to play on the Rockets’ road trip Wednesday and Thursday to play Golden State and Sacramento. Asked if he had a better feel for Howard’s timetable, he said again, “He won’t be back anytime soon.”
The good news for Houston is that they’ve managed to keep winning in the short term, despite the fact that Dwight Howard won’t be back.
The Rockets are 7-2 with Howard sidelined, and that includes wins against good teams like Memphis and Dallas. Their current record is 16-4, 2nd in the Western Conference.
