Could a rivalry be in the making?
LeBron James says Dwight Howard rebroke his nose in the Houston Rockets 106-103 takedown of the two-time defending NBA champions Tuesday night and "King" James seemed none too pleased by it.
The four-time league MVP was hit when he and Howard battled for a loose ball off a long pass late in the game. He laid on the court holding his broken nose for a few seconds before getting up and slowly walking to the bench. He has been wearing a protective mask to protect his nose.
James later told ESPN "I fought through it in the first half. Second half, it just wasn't there for me. Got out of rhythm.'' One night after netting a career-high 61 points against Charlotte, James finished with 22 points and shot just 1-of-7 after halftime.
"There's no need for us to get worried,'' Howard told ESPN of the Rockets facing the defending champs in such a hotly contested battle. "Situations like that, the best thing we can do is stay composed. If we point our finger or put our heads down, it gives the other team confidence. That's something we've been trying to work on all year.''
Howard led the Rockets with 22 points and 13 rebounds. The two teams face off again on March 16 in Miami.
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