Dwight Howard Says He Probably Won't Play Against Hawks

With the Atlanta Hawks locked in a dead heat with two other teams for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference, they may have gotten a huge break in their Friday game against the Orlando Magic.

Dwight Howard, who has struggled with a back injury as well as the media circus revolving around Stan Van Gundy in the last week, told reporters on Thursday that he was questionable for Friday's game against Orlando's Southwest Division rival:

Dwight Howard said he was hurting in practice today and probably will not play tomorrow against the #Hawks.

— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) April 12, 2012

The Magic, who depend on Howard to protect the middle of the lane defensively and command double teams offensively, are a completely different team without their All-NBA C.

Orlando is 1-5 without him, including an ugly 93-85 loss to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.

For the latest news and notes on the Hawks, head over to Peachtree Hoops while Orlando Pinstriped Post has you covered with all the pregame angles from the Magic Kingdom.