It was a messy game 5 for Houston Rockets big man Dwight Howard. He was coming into the game just cleared of a suspension from the NBA and he was fighting to keep his team alive. In the process of the game he and Andrew Bogut were assessed technical fouls, which was questionable and was ultimately rescinded. Ok, so he’s in the clear, no longer suspended for his next game, whether it was game 6 or the first game of next season. That’s until later on in the game, there was a questionable screen set which led to Howard hitting Golden State Warriors wingman Andre Iguodala with a high elbow.
It was assessed as a common foul during the game but after the NBA looked at it, they came to the conclusion that it was actually a flagrant 1 foul and now Howard will miss the first game he plays in the 2015-16 season.
Following from an official NBA Press Release.
Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard has been suspended one game without pay for collecting his fourth Flagrant Foul point of the 2015 NBA postseason, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.
The incident, which was upgraded from a common foul to a Flagrant Foul 1 upon league office review, occurred when Howard made unnecessary contact with his forearm to the neck area of Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala with 3:35 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 104-90 win over the Rockets on May 27 at Oracle Arena.
Howard will serve his suspension in the first game of the 2015-16 NBA regular season for which he is eligible and physically able to play.
In addition, Howard and the Warriors’ Andrew Bogut each had their technical fouls, assessed with 3:19 remaining in the second quarter of the same game, rescinded upon league office review.
This was just a messy situation, due in part to Dwight’s physical nature all postseason. He’s been involved in some scraps with different people throughout the playoffs and now it reached its breaking point and he’s going to feel it to start next season.
Hopefully next season starts better than it ended for Howard.
