It hasn’t been easy for the Lakers this year. After one of the most exciting off-seasons, signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard, the two have struggled with injuries ever since joining the team. Nash was injured on the first night and forced to sit out until last month; while Howard’s looked hurt ever since he put on the Lakers’ jersey. On Sunday night though, he was back. Earlier than expected, and in fine form, too.

It was the performance everyone had been waiting for. It was the Dwight Howard that had not yet been seen in L.A. Before his return, the Lakers had been on a six-game losing streak, and had just about everyone asking what was going wrong. But when D-12 stepped onto the court this weekend, he was ready. And he made it happen.

Continuing a streak he had been on before his injury forced him to sit out, Howard finished the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with 22 points and 14 rebounds on 9 of 11 shots. That gives him an average of 17 points, 16.6 rebounds, and 3 blocks over his past five games.

Seeing him come back into the lineup on Sunday night proved one thing to the Lakers – they need Dwight Howard, and they need him to play at the elite level he was displaying before he ever made his way to the West coast. Now that his injuries seem to be fully behind him, it seems that the Lakers may have finally gotten what they signed up for.