Compounding the cataclysmic setback is the fact that Howard’s counterpart, emerging superstar LaMArcus Aldridge, scored a Portland playoff record 46 points and added 18 rebounds, dwarfing Howard’s 27 points and 17 rebounds.
Of course, superstar James Harden deserves just as much blame for the loss in missing 20 of 28 shots; most of them wayward, low-percentage tries, but the vast majority of the culpability will fall in Howard’s lap if the Rockets don’t come back from a 0-1 hole to win the best of 7 series against the Blazers.
Take a look at social media’s assessment of Howard’s and the Rocket’s collapse in Game 1 of the 2014 Western Conference playoffs against the Trailblazers.
Dwight Howard is never gonna get a ring.
— nick (@sliknic) April 21, 2014
Last night Lamarcus showed us that Dwight Howard isn’t elite!!!
— J~Rod (@hollywoodjrod68) April 21, 2014
