The wizards begin their journey with a win in overtime as Dwight Howard leans toward the east to get in shape

PORTLAND, Oregon – As the Washington Wizards advance to the uninterrupted pace of an NBA program, Dwight Howard is still catching up.

Howard, 32, has not traveled with the team for his longest road trip of the season and stayed in Washington to continue his solo efforts to get in shape after an injury as the Team described as a "gluteal pain".

On Monday, before the Wizards' first five games on the road against West Conference opponents, Scott Brooks did not completely rule out Howard for the entire trip, which will end on October 30 against the Memphis Grizzlies, but has indicated that Howard would miss the majority. upcoming games as it requires additional workouts.

"We made that decision because he needs more time in court, better conditioning," Brooks said. "We will be in different cities almost every other day, in planes and buses. And all practices will not be real. Will be a couple of optional practices. So we think that right now we had a trainer and a medical staff member who stayed with him to do a good job. "

Without Howard, the Wizards played their third consecutive series game at the start of the season. This time, Washington survived to celebrate its first win, a thrilling 125-124 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

John Wall only managed five shots in the game, but he scored 9.4 seconds before making the difference. Although Wall missed two free throws late in the game that gave Portland a last chance, Otto Porter Jr. wiped out Damian Lillard's final training. Even playing without a big player for much of the game, the Wizards had seven blocks. Bradley Beal, who scored 25 points, saved the regulation with a last-second block at the end.

Markieff Morris, who replaced Ian Mahinmi at the center, scored 28 points with a career high of six or three points and nine rebounds.

Before the trip, the team had planned for Howard to complete the 10-day trip. The opposite decision reveals how much Howard's injury has affected his preparation for the season.

Howard entered the training camp knowing that he would deprive himself of certain practices due to back pain. Over time, a hip specialist in New York said the pain was a problem with a piriformis muscle. Howard missed the five pre-season games.

Although Howard returned to the practice ground during NBA's opening week of the season and Morris thought he would play at least against the Miami Heat last Thursday, he was placed on the list of inactive players. Saturday, Howard was again submitted to the weight room while the Wizards were defeated by the Toronto Raptors.

"More than likely the next match or two. I do not know after that. Maybe the whole trip, "said Brooks, estimating how much longer Howard will stay away. "Everything is in the air. We will obviously be in communication with Dwight, our coaches and our staff. . . and we will make these decisions as we travel. But for the moment, we think it would be better for him to get a lot of quality and constant work. "

Last week, Howard spent time training with the starters. But the lack of a connection on the pitch and missing a potentially crucial road trip had an impact on Howard's attempt to fully integrate with his new teammates after his signing in Washington in July.

"It's like, yes, it's hard to miss that. I could speak for myself because I was hurt in my first year here, "said Mahinmi, who left Monday's bout with back pain, describing how a prolonged absence can be problematic for a new player in a team. "It's hard to miss when you're new to a team, but at the same time it's 82 games. It's a lot of time. Many games to find stuff. So, I can not think of that much. You just have to do things and take care of the rest when it's good. "

The absence is more than Howard's chemistry with his teammates, it also prevents the Wizards from achieving their full alignment in a difficult context.

Washington improved to 1-2 after Monday's game against the Trail Blazers, a playoff team last season, and will then face the two-time defending Golden State Warriors champion. Early-season testing continues with road games against the Sacramento Kings, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Grizzlies, teams that missed the 2018 playoffs.

Nevertheless, Brooks believes that Howard's conditioning should take precedence over his arrival in the formation.

"There is no pressure on us just because we start the season 0-2," Brooks said Monday afternoon before the game. "We are two games to play 2-0, so it's not like we need him right now. It's wise for everyone, because when he comes back, we want him to be at his best and have the best impact possible, and the best value for our team is what he brings. It's a great sportsman who can defend the paint and get rebounds. "