Dwight Howard admits to playing with torn MCL, meniscus in West Final
Knee injuries hobbled Dwight Howard for much of the 2014-15 season, and now the star big man has admitted the injury he suffered in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals was worse than he and the team let on.
Howard injured his knee in Houston's series opener against the eventual champion Golden State Warriors, but played on in the series with what was deemed a sprain.
However, Howard actually played through a torn MCL and meniscus during the Rockets' five-game loss to the Warriors, he told Texas' SportsRadio 610 on Thursday.
Howard, who was limited to a career-low 41 regular-season games, averaged 14.4 points, 14.4 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.4 steals in 35 minutes during the West finals.
After missing just seven games combined over his first seven seasons, Howard enters 2015-16 having missed 70 regular-season games over his last four years. Last season also marked the first time in nine years that the 29-year-old failed to appear in the All-Star game or on an All-NBA team.
- With h/t to CBS Houston