Dwight Howard Close to Suspension

ORLANDO -- Dwight Howard promised everyone he could control himself going into Game 4 of this Eastern Conference final against Cleveland.

Well, he lied.

Howard played well Tuesday night – dominated overtime in this 116-114 victory – and he left Amway Arena one victory away from a trip to the NBA Finals.

Yet the dark cloud over his head has grown more ominous. Howard received his sixth technical foul of this post season Tuesday, leaving him one away from an automatic one-game suspension that will follow him until this season ends.

The fear now is that the threat of a suspension will restrict the emotional play that often makes him so dominant. Or the Magic will be playing a game in the NBA Finals without him.

Howard was called for his technical Tuesday for taunting Cavs center Anderson Varejao, who had tried to wrap up Howard with a high bear hug, only to have the Magic center dunk over him anyway. Varejao was called for a personal foul. Howard got a technical because he paused over Varejao and flexed his muscles.

The technical irked both Magic coach Stan Van Gundy and Howard.

"You do start to feel like he's a marked man. That's a pretty tough technical foul to get,'' Van Gundy said. "You start to feel like they really are looking for him. Varejao grabs him by the shoulders going up. To me, that's a bigger problem than him making noises when he makes the basket. I guess there is no problem grabbing a guy by the neck, but if you celebrate the basket, that's a bigger problem.''

Howard, who got a technical in Game 3 for saying something toward the Cavs bench, said he was surprised by the technical Tuesday, especially after promising that he would keep his mouth shut and his elbow in to avoid one.

"All I was doing was playing with emotion,'' Howard said. "I wasn't taunting anyone. It was a tough play. He grabbed me around the neck, but I made the shot anyway. I understand the consequences. I might really have to use the duct tape [on my mouth] now.''

see details: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/05/27/dwight-howard-close-to-suspension/