By SAM
GARDNER
FOXSportsFlorida.com Magic
writer
Jan. 3, 2011
The NBA has rescinded Magic center Dwight Howard's league-leading 12th technical foul.
The foul occurred during Thursday's game against the New York Knicks. Game official Derek Richardson handed out the technical just one minute and 57 seconds into the game.
Howard says the infraction was called after he yelled at himself for fumbling a ball under the Magic basket.
At Monday morning's shoot-around before the Magic's game with the Warriors, Howard joked that he spent the weekend learning sign language so he wouldn't get in trouble for talking too much in the future.
"Like I told you guys the past couple of days, I've been online working on sign language," Howard said. "I got a couple things down, so I'll be pretty cool tonight. If I use sign language like, 'I love you,' to the ref, they might not take offense to the sign language."
After Thursday's game, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy defended Howard, claiming that the league's officials target the All-Star center. Van Gundy's comments earned him a $35,000 fine from the league Saturday.
However, Howard says he won't be footing the bill for his coach.
"Am I going to help Stan? No, he's on his own," Howard said, laughing. "He's a great guy, great coach . . . but I've been sticking up for myself, and that's why I got all those technical fouls."
The league also rescinded Amar'e Stoudemire's technical foul from Thursday's game. Stoudemire received a technical for taunting Gilbert Arenas after he blocked an Arenas shot into the stands.
Howard still leads the NBA with 11 techs. Stoudemire is second with nine. Once a player reaches 16, he receives an automatic one-game suspension and an additional one-game suspension for each subsequent pair of technical fouls for the rest of the regular season.
The technical-foul count is reset at the start of the playoffs, with players receiving a one-game suspension after seven playoff technicals.
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