Reuters: Sports News: Howard to miss playoffs and Olympics: report

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Howard to miss playoffs and Olympics: report Apr 20th 2012, 03:07 Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Celtics dispel Magic to claim Atlantic crown 1:58am EDT RPT-OLYMPIC HISTORY 1980-2008 Wed, Apr 18 2012 RPT-OLYMPIC HISTORY 1948-1980 Wed, Apr 18 2012 RPT-OLYMPIC HISTORY 1896-1936 Wed, Apr 18 2012 RPT-Olympics-Leading 12 modern Olympians Wed, Apr 18 2012 File photo of Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard in Boston, Massachusetts January 23, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi Thu Apr 19, 2012 11:07pm EDT (Reuters) - Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard will undergo back surgery on Friday and miss the NBA playoffs and Olympic Games, ESPN reported on Thursday. The Magic have secured a place in the Eastern Conference playoffs but will be without their six-times All Star, who faces four months out after doctors discovered he had a herniated disk. "The doctor said it's a one-inch incision," Howard was quoted as saying by ESPN.com. "He said I can start rehab right away and be back to full contact in four months. So I'm not really concerned. If anything, I'll come back stronger". Howard's absence will come as a major blow to Orlando's hopes in the playoffs but the center said he believed they could still make progress. "If the guys come together, we still have a chance," he said. "I know what we have in that locker room. I've seen it in spurts this season. I've told them, 'We don't have to be the biggest or the strongest, we just have to believe.'" Howard has missed eight games this season due to his back problems. The 26-year-old was part of the gold medal winning U.S. Olympics team in Beijing in 2008 and was named to the initial roster for London. (Reporting By Simon Evans; Editing by Peter Rutherford) Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above.

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