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After waiting for the first three months of the season, it has finally happened. Dwight Howard has exploded. On a night where the Rockets were in desperate need for a big game from their star center, Howard stepped up with his best performance as a Rocket, putting up a ridiculous 35 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 assists game.
From the tip, Howard controlled both ends of the floor, scoring in the post and slowing down the Pistons with his defensive chops. When it was all said and done, Howard joined Hakeem Olajuwon as the only Rockets to manage a 35/19/5 statline. That's pretty spectacular company.
It wasn't all fun and games for the Rockets, however, as Patrick Beverley was knocked out of action with a broken bone in his hand that he suffered late in the second quarter. Francisco Garcia had a bad turnover, and as the Pistons were coming back at the Rockets, Beverley caught his hand in between Garcia and Kyle Singler. He will likely be out for 4-6 weeks.
Let's check out the highlights from this one, courtesy of CSN Houston:
