Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) goes after a loose ball during the first half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. (Photo: Chris Humphreys, USA TODAY Sports) The Lakers' Christmas win against the Knicks bought about 24 hours' worth of peace in Los Angeles. Then, it was back to the familiar panic protocol. LAKERS: How much does Steve Nash mean to team? Dwight Howard reprised his role as team punching bag in Wednesday's game against the Nuggets. With the Lakers already trailing 79-72 in the third quarter, Howard faced Kenneth Faried barreling down the lane on a pick-and-roll. But Howard got a little too physical and smacked Faried in the face. The foul was originally ruled a Flagrant 1, but officials reviewed the play and deemed Howard's infraction a Flagrant 2, which earned him an ejection. Perhaps the stiff-arm is best left to football players. Tags