Sixers Backup Center Dwight Howard Questionable vs. Clippers

It seemed that Dwight Howard was healthy and ready to go this past Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. As the Philadelphia 76ers didn't have anybody other than George Hill on the injury report heading into the matchup, the Sixers were in excellent shape against an undermanned Nets team.

But roughly about a half an hour before tip-off, the Sixers made a shocking move by ruling Dwight Howard out for the night as he was dealing with left knee soreness, according to a Sixers' spokesperson.

Despite getting ruled out so suddenly, Howard still stuck around on the bench and watched his team take down the Nets with a crucial victory. The fact that Howard was just as active on the sidelines as he normally is when suited up and ready to play, it seemed he wasn't dealing with anything too significant.

76ers head coach Doc Rivers would confirm that much after the game. "He's fine," Rivers explained on Wednesday night. "It was maintenance a little bit, but his knee was sore after the game the other night. Then, this morning at shootaround, he wasn't moving very well, and we just decided he was a late scratch."

Howard might be fine for the long-term as he didn't suffer any notable setbacks, but short-term, it seems he could miss some additional time. According to the Sixers' Thursday night injury report, Howard is questionable for Friday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

If Howard isn't present for the 76ers once again, the Sixers will have to roll with a small-ball lineup off the bench, which will likely utilize Mike Scott at the five. Or, perhaps the Sixers give the new guy Anthony Tolliver some minutes. While there aren't many minutes for Tolliver to garner with everybody healthy, possibly having Howard out once again could convince Rivers to throw the new guy in the rotation on Friday.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.