After the collision, Howard loosened up in the tunnel and returned to the bench with about three minutes left in the first quarter.MORE: Must-see photos from Western Conference Finals | Cuban admits he was wrong about Rockets
Howard started the third quarter and played just nine minutes in the second half in the Rockets’ 110-106 loss to the Warriors. He finished the game with seven points and 13 rebounds, both below his playoff average of 17.2 points and 13.8 rebounds.
“It’s very painful,” Howard said after the game, via ESPN.com.
The Rockets are accustomed to playing without Howard, who missed 41 games in the regular season nursing a knee injury in his right leg. The Rockets still managed to secure the No. 2 seed in the loaded Western Conference, so coach Kevin McHale still expects his team to perform with or without Howard.
“Dwight wasn’t able to play, but we played over a half a season without Dwight,” McHale said. “There’s no excuses. We’ve got to play. There’s balls there to be had, there’s rebounds there to be had. There’s baskets there to be had, there’s layups there to be made. We’ve got to do that.”
Game 2 is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Thursday at Golden State.
