A_SunsFan said:
Yeah I dont see him being very effective the rest of the way if he comes back...Someone else will have to step up.
From what I heard Howard was seen leaving the locker room w/o a limp. Down 1-0 you have to think he plays in game 2.
Mavericks lose Howard early
[SIZE=+1]Sprained ankle in first quarter takes away versatile player
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12:28 AM CDT on Thursday, May 25, 2006
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By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News [/SIZE]
It was not a pleasant sight for the Mavericks.
Josh Howard, the team's third-leading scorer, was walking to his car on crutches.
Howard, a major piece to the offense, played only six minutes in Wednesday night's 121-118 Game 1 loss to the Suns.
Howard, a 6-7 small forward, left with 6:01 to play in the opening quarter with a severely sprained right ankle.
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It was the same ankle Howard sprained early this season, when he missed 10 games.
Howard injured the ankle on an awkward landing after a drive to the basket. X-rays on his ankle were negative. An MRI exam is scheduled for today.
When asked about his status for Game 2 on Friday, he said, "I don't know."
Howard said the crutches were more than a precaution.
"It hurts pretty bad," he said.
Howard is an athletic scorer and defender whom the Mavericks need to guard several Suns players.
Tim Thomas, Shawn Marion and Boris Diaw, all versatile players who can score from the outside and drive to the basket, were going to draw Howard's attention Wednesday.
It was Diaw who scored the game-winning basket for the Suns.
Howard, who averaged 16.4 points in the first two playoff series, presents an offensive matchup problem for opponents. He can score outside and take defenders to the basket. He scored six points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field before leaving with the injury.
"Well, it's a big void," coach Avery Johnson said. "He's capable of getting 20 points and 10 rebounds, especially in a game like this. We missed Josh, but it's still no excuse."
Without Howard, Johnson was forced to use Devin Harris more at point guard and give more minutes to a player – Marquis Daniels – in whom he doesn't have a lot of confidence.
Daniels didn't play in the Game 7 victory over the Spurs, but he played 15 minutes Wednesday. He was on the floor in the closing seconds and committed a costly turnover.
Johnson also went with a smaller lineup to start the second half. He started Keith Van Horn, Adrian Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki in the frontcourt. The backcourt included Jason Terry and Harris.
The long-term effect of Howard's potential absence isn't known. But in Game 1, the Mavericks got strong play from Harris and Griffin, who provided tough minutes on the defensive end.
"We miss everybody," forward Jerry Stackhouse said. "With Josh, he would have been out there and given us another body who is an athlete. We had enough. But you talk a lot about what you miss when you lose."
alarmists your facts straight