NBA label Dwight Howard's contact on Andrew Bogut as 'unnecessary' but not 'excessive'

Houston Rockets centre Dwight Howard will not be suspended for game five of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors, the NBA announced on Tuesday.

There had been discussions on whether or not the league would suspend Howard for hitting Andrew Bogut in the face during the Rockets' 128-115 game four win on Monday.

Coming just a day after the Atlanta Hawks' Al Horford was ejected for elbowing Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova in the head, some critics questioned how Howard had avoided a similar sanction.

"Howard was trying to extricate himself from Bogut and recklessly hit him in the face with an open hand," NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn said in a release.

"The contact was unnecessary but not deemed excessive by the officials working the game with the aid of the replay center. And we don't see a reason to modify that call."

Not everyone, including the man who used to have Thorn's job, agrees.

"Baffled #Howard contact was not upgraded to FFP2 [flagrant foul personal two]. Hard contact to face, reckless, released arm and flailed for free head shot and history," former NBA vice president Stu Jackson wrote on Twitter.

The foul was ruled a flagrant foul one on Monday.

Had the league upgraded it to a flagrant two, Howard would have been suspended for Wednesday's game in Oakland.

The Rockets trail the Warriors 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.