Dwight Howard has been diagnosed with a left knee sprain, rather than a bruise, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Howard has been diagnosed with a left knee sprain, rather than a bruise, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Analysis:

Howard continues to be listed as questionable for Thursday's Game 2, and we likely won't know more until the team's medical staff has a chance to evaluate him following Thursday's shootaround. The center said that his pain level Wednesday is about the same as it was Tuesday night, and he indicated that if Game 2 was Wednesday night, he would not be able to play. However, Howard said there is "no doubt" that he'll return at some point in the series. "As a team, we've come a long way," Howard said. "I've come a long way. I won't allow this to defeat me." If Howard is ultimately held out, the Rockets will be forced to go with a smaller lineup. While that could put another shooter on the court, it would severely hamper Houston's interior defense, as was the case down the stretch in Tuesday's Game 1 when Howard was sidelined by the injury.