Before the possession that ended with the hit on Zeller, Howard appeared to get frustrated with him at the other end of the court when he got boxed out on a free throw.
"It wasn't like I tried to hit him in the face," Howard said after the game, "but my job is to protect my house at all costs. I am making no apologies for it. I can't do nothing but live with it."
Asked if he thought the foul was flagrant, Howard responded, "It's basketball."