Rockets not expecting Dwight Howard back by Friday

The Houston Rockets played without Dwight Howard for a fourth consecutive game on Wednesday, a reality they're expecting to continue at least until the weekend.

Despite now having been off since Nov. 17, Howard is not expected to return to the Rockets on Friday. Howard has been sidelined with a right knee strain, one that saw him receive a platelet-rich protein injection last week.

Head coach Kevin McHale has indicated he would likely want Howard to practice before returning to the lineup, though the team does have an off day between home games on Thursday. Sitting Howard again Friday would make some sense given that the team has a Friday-Saturday back-to-back and are then off until Wednesday.

Obviously, Howard's absence looms large, as he had shown a return to form as a dominant defensive force through 10 games. The eight-time All-Star is averaging 18.8 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 57.5 percent, and the Rockets have given up a paltry 93.9 points per-100 possessions when he's on the floor.

Tarik Black has drawn most of the starts with Howard sidelined and would stand to do so again Friday. Before Wednesday's game, Black had averaged 4.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in 20.3 minutes in his four starts.