Dwight Howard Says He Played with Torn MCL, Meniscus in 2015 Playoffs

Dwight Howard averaged 14.4 points and 14.4 rebounds during the 2015 Western Conference Finals, but the eight-time All-Star revealed Thursday he posted those numbers while playing with a torn MCL and torn meniscus, according to SportsRadio610's Mike Meltser. 

Howard reportedly sprained his left knee in Houston's 110-106 Game 1 loss, but at the time, it wasn't believed that he suffered any structural damage. 

"It's very sore, it started during the game," Howard said following Game 1, per ESPN.com's Calvin Watkins. "It's another test."    

Prior to injuring his knee against the Golden State Warriors, Howard missed 41 games during the regular season because of knee pain. He underwent a bone marrow aspirate injection in his right knee and was sidelined from Jan. 25 to March 23. 

Howard's postseason performance following the injury was remarkably admirable, especially considering he played an average of 35.1 minutes against the Warriors. Only James Harden and Trevor Ariza logged more on a per-game basis. 

However, all that wear and tear on a gimpy knee could prove to be a hindrance down the line. 

"Considering his age (he’ll be 30 in December) and his injury history, this isn’t a great sign," Pro Basketball Talk's Sean Highkin wrote. "A healthy Howard is the difference between the Rockets being a legitimate title contender and an also-ran, so hopefully these problems are behind him and he can stay healthy this season."

Houston fell two games shy of winning a Western Conference title last season, and Howard's health will be integral to the team's hopes of besting those efforts during the 2015-16 campaign.

When Dwight was on the floor, Houston's offense surrendered just 97 points per 100 possessions—a mark that would have ranked No. 1 overall if it spanned the course of the entire season. The offense also scored at a more efficient rate, generating 1.3 points more per 100 possessions with the big man flushing home high-percentage looks around the rim.   

That's the kind of impact the Rockets can count on from Howard, but he'll need to stay healthy in order to try to propel Houston back to its first NBA Finals since 1995. 

All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com unless noted otherwise.