Magic’s Howard suspended for Game 6

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Dwight Howard’s elbow has given the Orlando Magic’s playoff hopes a major hit.

Howard has been suspended for Game 6 of the Magic’s playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers for his elbow on Sixers center Samuel Dalembert, the NBA announced Wednesday.

The two got tangled up going for a rebound in the first quarter in Game 5 on Tuesday night. Replays showed Howard threw an elbow that hit Dalembert above the shoulders.

Howard drew a technical foul for the hit.

NBA commissioner David Stern, who was in Orlando on Tuesday, said Wednesday in Atlanta prior to the Hawks-Miami Heat game that Howard’s suspension was not only for a rule violation, but for safety precautions.

“The Dwight Howard suspension tells you the players are capable of hurting each other,” Stern said. “We’re there to protect the players. If you throw a punch, you’re gone. If you throw an elbow above the shoulder, you’re gone. If you come off the bench, you’re gone.

“The whole idea is to make sure that these very large athletes playing in a relatively small place at high speeds with great power don’t do harm to each other.”

Howard said that was not his intention.

“I’m very disappointed but I have to respect the NBA’s decision,” Howard said in a statement. “I didn’t intend to hurt anyone. I have complete faith in my teammates that they will come out and get the job done tomorrow night.”

Stu Jackson, the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations, said Howard would have been ejected from the game if any of the referees saw him make contact with his target. Jackson said the contact was clear cut on replay.

“They saw the elbow thrown but they couldn’t determine whether or not the elbow actually made contact with Dalembert,” Jackson said.