After 2 months off, Dwight Howard returns to Rockets' lineup

NEW ORLEANS, LA (KTRK) -- After two long months of waiting and wondering if he'd return, Dwight Howard is back in the Rockets lineup.

Howard will have limited playing time against the Pelicans, probably around 16 minutes. It'll be his first game action in two months on the knee that needed the bone marrow aspirate.

Howard was asked if returning to the lineup was like the first day of school.

"First day of school is different. We don't get our game jerseys out at night and lay 'em out on the bed and take pictures with our uniform on," he said. "It's just a good feeling to be back out there."

"Nobody takes two months off in the NBA," said Rockets coach Kevin McHale. "If you did, 50-year-old guys would play in the NBA."

One more Rockets note. Yahoo! Sports is among those reporting that the Rockets need more time to determine if Patrick Beverly 's injury is a ligament injury in his wrist, which would be season-ending for the Rockets point guard.