The season is officially over for the Los Angeles Lakers after being swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, but not before All-Star center Dwight Howard taking an early exit.
At the 9:51 mark of the third quarter in Game 4 against the Spurs, Howard was ejected following his second technical foul. Before leaving the floor he shared some words with his teammates and with GM Mitch Kupchak. He refused to comment on his future with free agency looming, but according to Yahoo! Sports, the big fella touched on how much of a disappointment his first year in Hollywood was.
"It's like a nightmare," Howard said after Los Angeles suffered a 103-82 defeat that swept it out of Round 1 of the playoffs. "It's like a bad dream and we couldn't wake up out of it. That's what it felt like.
"It seemed like nothing could go right, right from the start, injuries and all that stuff. We get an opportunity to get some rest for guys who are injured. A chance to rehab and think about what we can all do to better ourselves."
Howard made his seventh All-Star appearance this season, but his 17.1 points per game were his lowest average since his second season in the league, his 12.4 rebounds were his lowest since his third season, and his 49.2 percent mark from the foul line represented the second straight season he's shot less than 50 percent from the charity stripe.
Once he becomes a free agent this offseason, Howard can sign a five-year, $118 million contract to stay with the Lakers, or a four-year, $87.6 million deal with another team.
The nightmare of the 2012-13 Lakers season is over, but now that's nothing compared to the "Dwightmare" that's sure to come this summer.
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