Dwight Howard admits it was tough not playing against Rockets

Dwight Howard has had to swallow his ego with the Los Angeles Lakers this season, and the last playoff series was probably his hardest test yet.

Howard admitted on Wednesday that it was tough not playing in the second round against the Houston Rockets, per Spectrum SportsNet’s Mike Trudell. The former All-Star also said that he and JaVale McGee tried to stay positive and engaged on the bench so as not to let any negative energy seep in.

While the Lakers did win the series in five games, Howard and McGee were effectively out of the rotation. Houston was playing without a traditional big man, so the Lakers chose to match by going with smaller lineups. Howard especially was looking forward to facing the Rockets, his former team.

Granted, the Nuggets, who employ a bigger frontline of Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic, are up next for the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. That means that Howard can probably look forward to playing some meaningful minutes again.