Howard's back has Mavs concerned

[HexNBA]

oh boy..

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Howard's back has Mavs concerned

Guard says his back still feels tight, but he plans to play Sunday

09:32 PM CDT on Friday, April 21, 2006

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

As he lay on a table getting kneaded by the hands and elbows of massage therapist Gary Fineske, Josh Howard grimaced through a particularly deep dig into the small of his back.

This was not the kind of massage that you get while enjoying the good life.

"It's not the good life when it hurts," he said.

Howard's lower back tightened up after he came out of Game 82 on Wednesday. It was enough of a problem Friday that he could not take part in the Mavericks' lengthy practice.

Howard, a 15.6-point, 6.3-rebound producer in the regular season, said he expects to play in Game 1 on Sunday, even though the Mavericks are somewhat concerned by the back problem that has flared up occasionally in the last month.

"I don't really know what it is," Howard said. "It's just tight. The last game, I got a little tightness in it when I came out of the game, and it got tighter when I sat for a while. It was worse by the time the game ended and when I got home."

So does he plan on playing in Game 1?

"Right now is the most important time to play, so I'll go out there and play," he said. "It's two days away, so I should be back. It's nothing major like that."

Avery Johnson said Howard would be checked out thoroughly and evaluated daily.

Some good news: While Howard's back further clouded the Mavericks' injury situation, they received good news when Devin Harris was able to go through practice with no serious problems from his sore left quad.

"Everything felt great – no setbacks," he said. "I got the OK from the doctors. As for minutes [Sunday], that's up to AJ. But I'll be in uniform."

Having played only seven games since the All-Star break, Harris was asked if he was worried about being rusty.

"Nah, I can still get to the rim," he said.

Johnson said Harris "looked OK" during practice. "Now we've got to see what happens with the recovery," he said. "He went at it pretty hard."

Marquis Daniels (left hamstring) also practiced Friday, but Darrell Armstrong (left ankle) did not.

Speaking of health: Memphis' Pau Gasol has been bothered by a left foot injury, but the Mavericks aren't buying any of it.

"He'll play, and he'll be 100 percent," Johnson said.

Upset sprinter: Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki raced each other in a wind sprint after practice, with Nowitzki winning, much to the surprise of assistant coach Del Harris and others, Terry included.

"That was totally unexpected," Terry said, before adding, "Next time, I won't give him that two-second head start."