Sure. We believe you.
Dwight Howard says he really didn't mean to elbow Hornets center Cody Zeller in the head late in Friday night's game in Charlotte.
Officials felt otherwise, slapping the Hawks center with a flagrant foul 2 that resulted in his ejection. The Hornets, buoyed by the foul with 5:37 remaining in the game, immediately went on a 9-0 run to overcome a 3-point Hawks lead. Charlotte won, 100-96.
If you missed the play, officials certainly didn't.
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"It wasn't like I tried to hit him in the face," Howard told reporters after the game, via ESPN. "but my job is to protect my house at all costs. I am making no apologies for it. I can't do nothing but live with it."
When a reporter asked the Hawks star if he thought the foul was flagrant, he said, "it's basketball."
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Howard finished the game with 10 points and 18 rebounds.
If you're wondering how Zeller stood up like the incident never happened, it's because he's been subject to worse treatment — even from his own brothers.
"I have taken a lot of hard hits with two older brothers," said Zeller, whose brothers, Tyler and Luke, preceded him as NBA players. "I knew it was going to be a physical game. But it was a huge play in the game because they couldn't go to him late in the game and we went on a run."