ORLANDO, Fla. — Magic center Dwight Howard has been suspended for Game 6 of Orlando’s playoff series against the 76ers for his elbow on center Samuel Dalembert, the NBA announced Wednesday.
The two got tangled up going for a rebound in the first quarter in Game 5 on Tuesday night. Replays showed Howard threw an elbow that hit Dalembert above the shoulders. Howard drew a technical foul for the hit.
“If you throw a punch,” commissioner David Stern said, “you’re gone. If you throw an elbow above the shoulder, you’re gone. If you come off the bench, you’re gone.”
The Magic will also be without starting guard Courtney Lee, who suffered a fractured sinus after taking an inadvertent elbow to the head from Howard later in the quarter. Lee’s status for the remainder of the playoffs is uncertain.
The Magic leads the series 3-2, with Game 6 tonight. Orlando will likely start Marcin Gortat in place of Howard, and J.J. Redick for Lee.
Curry to return to Pistons
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Michael Curry will be back on Detroit’s bench for a second season after a rough rookie year as a head coach, Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said.
The Pistons, who opened the season with high hopes but couldn’t recover from the loss of all-star guard Chauncey Billups in a November trade to Denver for Allen Iverson, finished 39-43 and were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Cavaliers.
Nets staying with Frank
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Despite missing the playoffs for two straight years, the Nets announced Lawrence Frank, who is the longest- tenured coach in the Eastern Conference, will be returning for a sixth full season.
The Associated Press
