Humbled Dwight Howard ready to make 'ultimate sacrifice' for Rockets
Dwight Howard knows the landscape in Houston has shifted in his absence, with each 40-point effort carrying James Harden deeper into the MVP conversation and each win lifting the Rockets closer to home-court advantage in the playoffs. There was no way for things to remain as they were, not when Chandler Parsons, Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik departed last summer and not when Howard, one-half of Houston’s superstar duo, has missed months this season due to a right knee injury.
As inevitable as this change was, as necessary as Harden’s emergence has been for Houston, it’s understandably been a bit disorienting. One minute, Howard is riding eight straight All-Star appearances and averaging 26 points and 13.7 rebounds in the 2014 playoffs. The next, he’s stuck on the bench game after game, wearing loud jackets and marveling at Harden’s career year while trying to make sense of where he fits going forward.
Wednesday night marked Howard’s much-anticipated return to the court, as he logged 16 minutes against the Pelicans, marking his first action since Jan. 23. A day later, Howard reflected on what’s needed of him with the playoffs just a few weeks away, now that there’s no longer any question Harden is the alpha dog of the team.
“To be honest, it has been a little tough,” Howard told SI.com during a phone interview from Houston on Thursday. “I sat back and analyzed everything, and [Hall of Fame Rockets center] Elvin Hayes called me one day. He said, ‘For this team to win, you really have to make that ultimate sacrifice.’ I didn’t quite get it at first, but I think I really understand it now better than before.
http://www.si.com/nba/2015/03/27/dwight-howard-james-harden-houston-rockets-mvp-sacrifice-injury