C Dwight Howard had 16 points and 15 rebounds Monday. Howard, who had 53 double-doubles in the regular season, collected his first of the series.

C Dwight Howard had 14 rebounds and seven points for Atlanta.

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks, behind center Dwight Howard's 53rd double-double, secured fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 103-76 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.Howard scored 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Hawks extended their winning streak to four games.It was the first time in four tries that Atlanta defeated Charlotte, and the result guaranteed the Hawks would finish fifth and open the playoffs against the fourth-place Washington Wizards.The Hawks also received 10 points and seven rebounds from Paul Millsap and 10 points from Ersan Ilyasova. Atlanta rested its regulars in the fourth quarter, but every active player scored.Thunder 100, Timberwolves 98MINNEAPOLIS -- Victor Oladipo scored 20 points, including the game-winning jumper with six seconds left, as Oklahoma City held off Minnesota.Domantas Sabonis had 19 points as six players scored in double figures for the short-handed Thunder, who were without star guard Russell Westbrook... [More]

C Dwight Howard's 53rd double-double helped the Hawks secure fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 103-76 win over the Hornets on Tuesday. Howard scored 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds.Howard was hard to stop in the first half. Guards Dennis Schroder, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kent Bazemore looked for him around the rim and Howard responded. Howard had three dunks -- one on the first play of the game -- and scored two times on offensive rebounds and putbacks. "Just his physicality and his strength down there," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. "I thought he was super active, had great readiness and he's hard to get out of there."

C Dwight Howard collected 22 points and 20 rebounds as Atlanta held off the Philadelphia 76ers 99-92. "We've got to keep going," Howard said after his 50th double-double of the season, and his third 20-20 game. "These two games are behind us. We gave seven games away. We're going to need these games going into the playoffs."Howard set the tone against a depleted Philadelphia front line.Howard made 8 of 17 shots, as well as 6 of 7 free throws -- a bonus, considering he is a notoriously bad foul shooter.

C Dwight Howard had 15 points and 11 rebounds in a 95-91 win over Phoenix.

C Dwight Howard had 19 points and 16 rebounds. Howard picked up the 12,000th rebound of his career. Howard earned his 48th double-double (and has had double-digit rebounds in 15 straight games.

C Dwight Howard notched his 47th double-double of the year with 20 points and 12 rebounds on Friday night.

C Dwight Howard finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds, but Washington dominated the glass 55-44.

C Dwight Howard had 13 points and 10 rebounds Monday.

C Dwight Howard (14 points, 10 rebounds) drew his 13th technical foul of the season in the third quarter of Saturday's 113-97 loss to Portland. "I'm at one end and somebody hacks me and they say it is a regular foul and I come on the other end and barely hit somebody and it's reviewed ... as if I was trying to hurt a player out there on the floor," Howard said. "It is frustrating ... and it's got to stop at some point."

C Dwight Howard compiled 10 points and 11 rebounds Thursday against Memphis to post his 45th double-double of the season.

C Dwight Howard postd 13 rebounds Monday.

C Dwight Howard (rest) did not play Saturday in what was the second game of a back-to-back. The Hawks beat Toronto 105-99 on Friday night in Atlanta. Howard missed his sixth game this season and his third for scheduled rest.

C Dwight Howard had 14 rebounds to go with 11 points. He also blocked two shots.

C Dwight Howard had 14 rebounds to go with 11 points.

C Dwight Howard scored just eight points but grabbed a game-high 19 rebounds Monday.

C Dwight Howard added 15 points and 10 rebounds for his 40th double-double of the season.

C Dwight Howard had 14 points and 12 rebounds as the Hawks (34-26) won despite 23 turnovers and letting a lead for most of the game off a red-hot shooting start slip away.Howard was a perfect 5 of 5 from the floor.Howard's 39th double-double of the season -- one more than he had with Houston last season.

C Dwight Howard wasn't around for the final 16 minutes of the Hawks' Monday game against the Celtics. Howard, who scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in 27 minutes, was tossed for two third-quarter technical fouls. However, the NBA later announced that the second technical, for hanging on the rim, should not have resulted in his ejection."I thought they gathered themselves and decided we needed to keep this thing going," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said of his players. "I think Dwight got us to that point. He was a huge part of getting the 10-point lead. I think we just wanted to bring it home for him and for all of us."