After missing the Los Angeles Lakers' first five preseason contests while working his way back from surgery to repair the herniated disk in his lower back that ended his final season with the Orlando Magic, offseason trade acquisition Dwight Howard made his long-awaited Hollywood premiere during the Lakers' Sunday night matchup with the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center ... and while there's still plenty of work to be done before L.A.'s firing on all cylinders, the five-time All-NBA First Team center showed enough to stoke Laker fans' excitement for the coming season. Howard hadn't seen live game action since hitting the injury list following a 20-point, 22-rebound, six-assist outing for the Magic against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 7, a full 197 days before jumping tip against the Kings. It didn't take him long to get involved — just two minutes into the game, fellow offseason import Steve Nash slipped a bounce pass to new frontcourt mate Pau Gasol at the top of the key, and the 7-foot Spaniard offered Howard the same courtesy he once extended to Andrew Bynum, quickly lofting a lob toward the rim for some of the high-low volleyball that has made the Lakers so difficult to defend down low in recent years. Howard thanked Pau thusly: And they were off.
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