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VIA THE WASHINGTON POST:

Washington Wizards guard-forward Josh Howard will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee, the team said today.

Howard was injured late in the first quarter of yesterday’s 101-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls at Verizon Center, tempering the Wizards’ third win in four games since a series of trades revamped the roster.

Howard, an all-star in 2007, was the featured acquistion during a player purge that sent Antawn Jamison to Cleveland and Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson to Dallas.

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld said Howard would have surgery once the inflammation in his knee subsides, which could be in a week or two. Grunfeld also said the team would explore options with regard to filling the roster spot but that the team does not receive any special dispensation as far as the salary cap because of the season-ending injury.

Howard, who was averaging 17 points per game through his first three with the team, had scored seven points before falling to the court with just under four and half minutes to play in the opening period. He lay on the court for several minutes before being helped to his feet and to the locker room.

1:05: Coach Flip Saunders said he found out about about the injury approximately a half-hour into the team’s morning practice at Verizon Center. The news was so fresh that some players had not realized the severity of Howard’s injury until informed by the media.

“That’s devastating. I really didn’t know it was that serious,” said Al Thornton, one of the Wizards’ new arrivals who scored 17 points, including a critical basket in the final two minutes, against Chicago. “We’re going to keep him in our prayers and hope he gets well soon.”

Wizards Coach Flip Saunders said Thornton would take over in the starting lineup for Howard.

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