NBA: Dwight Howard To Return From Injury, Will Play Against Charlotte Hornets

The Atlanta Hawks will have their starting center back for Friday’s game when they take on the Charlotte Hornets.

According to multiple reports, Dwight Howard will play after suffering a bruised thigh on Tuesday against the Miami Heat.

"There is a little pain but I should be fine tonight. I'll keep doing what I've been doing the last couple days (in rehab) because that has made a big difference. It's nothing really major but that game (missed) there was obviously still a lot of pain, lot of swelling. The last couple days I've been trying to get that swelling down and diffuse the pain," Howard said.

Howard is playing his first year with the Hawks after signing a three year, $70 million contract this offseason. His time with the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets wasn’t the best, but Howard seems to be right at home in Atlanta, and more importantly the Eastern Conference. Howard's best basketball as a pro came with the orlando Magic when he was an MVP candidate.

Howard is averaging 12.3 rebounds per game this year, his highest since the 2012-13 season. As usual, free throws are still a major concern, however as Howard is still shooting under 50 percent from the line.

More importantly, the Hawks are an impressive 9-2 and in the middle of a six game win streak. They are currently tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for first place in the Eastern Conference. Both the Cavaliers and Hawks are 9-2, but the Hawks have the tie-breaker because they defeated the Cavaliers on Nov. 8.