NBA players usually ignore hecklers during games.

But there are times when hecklers say just the thing to strike a nerve and get the players to respond.

Game 4 on Saturday night was one of those times for Dwight Howard. With the Los Angeles Clippers thoroughly dominating his Houston Rockets during the third quarter, a down-and-out Howard lost his cool when a heckling fan at Staples Center yelled "don't cry" at Howard.

He didn't take too kindly to that. Leaning on the score table, Howard told the loudmouth to "come out here" three times. Whether Howard was threatening to pummel the guy or asserting that the fan couldn't play basketball like him is unknown... but if it was the latter, Howard only notched eight points and seven rebounds himself.

Hey, Dwight — maybe the guy was a jerk, but the realer way to shut him up would have been to lead the Rockets back and not let the Clippers drop 43 points in that third quarter. That's how the great ones would have handled it. Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller... that's how they would have responded. 

But hey — it could have been worse, had Blake Griffin thrown down this monster dunk on Howard. Now, that would have opened up an entirely new can of fresh comments from the crowd. 

Owning a commanding 3-1 series lead, the Clippers could end the Rockets' season with a Game 5 victory on Tuesday night.

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