Dwight Howard Suspended 1 Game for Flagrant Foul: Latest Details and Reaction
Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard will miss the team's first 2015-16 regular-season game after a foul from the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors was upgraded to a flagrant, leading to a one-game suspension.
The NBA's league office Twitter feed announced the decision Friday:
Bleacher Report's Howard Beck provided the full explanation:
SportsCenter previously highlighted the play in question:
The Warriors eliminated the Rockets from the postseason a few minutes after the incident, so the suspension carries over into next season. It's hard to argue with the decision since Howard extended his elbow and made contact with Andre Iguodala's throat.
Of course, the silver lining for the Rockets is he only misses one game to start the campaign. Besides Howard's absence from the always-anticipated season opener, the punishment shouldn't have a serious impact. He'll just slide back into the lineup for the second game.
Howard is coming off another strong season for Houston, averaging 15.8 points and 10.5 rebounds in the 41 games he was healthy. The team will look for a needed piece or two to slot in alongside him and James Harden as its quest for a championship continues.
Next season's journey will just start one game late for Howard.
