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ATLANTA -- Dwight Howard has played all of one game for the Atlanta Hawks.Hes already the center of attention.On opening night, Howard led his new teammates in a raucous display of bouncing and screaming during the pregame introductions. When it was over, with the Hawks victorious and their new center having provided a tantalizing glimpse of the skills that made him one of the NBAs most feared players, Howard worked the locker room from one end to the other, doling out good-natured ribbing to anyone who got within his imposing shadow.Superman has come home. Maybe hes found his swagger.I just tried to zone out and focus on the task at hand, Howard said at the end of the night, sitting at his locker surrounded by reporters and cameras and microphones. Ive been in a lot of opening nights and the worst thing you can do is lay an egg in the first game.Of course, its going to take more than one game to make up for what happened over the last several seasons.Still, Howards homecoming could wind up having a bigger impact on the league than some of those more touted moves this past summer.If all goes according to Atlantas plan, Howard will reclaim his place among the NBAs elite. Hell lead the league in rebounding, as he did through most of his glory years with the Orlando Magic, and give the Hawks the sort of imposing presence theyve been missing in the lane, someone who can alter shots and cover up his teammates mistakes and take some of the burden off teammates such as three-time All-Star Paul Millsap, who is still Atlantas best player.Thats the way it worked Thursday night in a 114-99 victory over the Washington Wizards. Howard grabbed 19 rebounds, more than anyone in an Atlanta uniform had all of last season, and continually sparked the transition game by with crisp passes to teammates fast-breaking in the opposite direction. Freed of carrying a big load on the glass, Millsap led the Hawks with 28 points.I didnt have to get down there and bang as much, Millsap said. When a guy like Dwights down there and securing the rebounds, hes taking a lot of the load off me. I think throughout the course of this season, Ill be a lot fresher, be able to do a little bit more on the offensive end.You might remember Howard as one of the leagues most dominant players, but its not something that comes immediately to mind. He got lost along the way, his once Hall of Fame-bound career sliding off the rails during a miserable one-year layover with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, followed by three forgettable seasons trying to coexist with James Harden on the Houston Rockets.Not only did Howards production suffer, but he went from one of the leagues most likable, endearing players to someone who came across as whiny and petulant, self-absorbed by his frequent trade demands and struggling to mesh with personalities as big as his own.When he became a free agent this past summer, Howard hardly had a pick of destinations or the leverage to name his price. He was certainly an intriguing piece in the offseason puzzle, but not as crucial to completing the picture as Kevin Durant landing with the Golden State Warriors, or Dwyane Wade taking off for the Chicago Bulls, or Derrick Rose being traded to the New York Knicks.Howard fell in with the next wave of shuffling, more along the lines of Pau Gasol heading to San Antonio or Andrew Bogut being dealt to Dallas to create cap space. In fact, there were plenty of people questioning whether the Hawks had done the right thing when they doled out a three-year, $70 million deal to Howard and allowed undersized but more versatile center Al Horford to bolt for the Boston Celtics.Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer was convinced that Howard, who has been in the league for 13 years but is still only 31, could be a franchise player once again.After the Hawks plummeted from 60 wins and the top seed in the East two seasons ago to a quick second-round exit from the playoffs this past spring, Budenholzer decided a dramatic overhaul was in order. Howard was eager to return to the city he grew up in and still calls home -- a striking change from his last foray into free agency, when he pretty much forwarded the Hawks calls straight to voicemail.This time around, he needed the Hawks as much as they needed him.For Howard, this is his best shot -- maybe his last shot -- at redemption and rejuvenation. Hes on a team where he can again be the loudest voice in the room, where he doesnt have to worry about Bryant putting him down or Harden demanding the spotlight.His work and his commitment to everything were doing, Im very, very pleased with it, Budenholzer said. I think hes looking forward to being a force.Maybe hell even be able to break out that cape again.---Paul Newberry is a sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry(at)ap.org or at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .Shoes China . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. Cheap Shoes . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. https://www.fakeshoeswholesale.com/ . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Discount Shoes . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. Cyber Monday Shoes . LUCIE, Fla.ATLANTA -- When he was pitching in the minor leagues earlier this month, Josh Collmenter didnt envision himself beating the Washington Nationals.He stayed focused, though, and got another chance in the major leagues with the NL-worst Atlanta Braves, who backed him up with timely hitting.Nick Markakis and Anthony Recker each drove in two runs, Collmenter won as an emergency starter and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 7-3 on Saturday.Aside from the two balls that left the yard, I feel good about most of my stuff, Collmenter said.Washington began the day needing a combination of six Nationals victories or six New York Mets losses to clinch its third NL East title in five years.Acquired Wednesday from the Chicago Cubs, Collmenter (2-0) struck out eight in five innings and allowed two runs, four hits and three walks. He was Arizonas opening-day starter last year and was making his first big league start since July 7, 2015 for Arizona.Collmenter had four starts at Triple-A Iowa before the trade. Atlanta needed a starter because Mike Foltynewicz has a bruised left calf and Williams Perez has an elbow impingement.Washington rookie Trea Turner hit a pair of solo home runs, is 7 for 9 in the series and has six homers, 16 RBI, 19 runs and seven steals in 12 games against Atlanta this year.The Nationals wasted a chance to rattle Collmenter in the second when he walked three of the first four batters but struck out Turner to escape the jam. Collmenter also stranded a runner at third in the third.I was able to retire him and, for the most part, kept them stringing some hits together and limit the walks, Collmenter said.Atlanta scored three runs in the fifth for a 6-2 lead against Gio Gonzalez (11-10). Markakis RBI single chased Gonzalez, Trevor Gott gave up Reckers RBI single and Gordon Beckkhams bases-loaded walk.ddddddddddddThe Braves have won just 12 of the last 48 games in the series and their 29 losses to Washington since the start of 2015 are Atlantas most against one opponent in a two-year span.Maybe the law of averages were on their side to win one today, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.Gonzalez allowed six runs and nine hits, dropping to 0-1 with a 7.11 ERA in four starts against Atlanta this season.I got beat by a lot of singles, Gonzalez said. Some were by just inches. It was one of those unfortunate things. You want to show you can pitch in this rotation, and it was the way todays game went.ROTATION TURNSTILEAtlanta has used a big-league high 16 starters, a team record. The 1975 Braves used 15.HITTING MACHINEWashington 2B Daniel Murphy hit his NL-leading 47th double in the third to tie Ryan Zimmermans franchise record in 2006. Murphy stayed in the game after a hard head-first slide into the second base in the third.STREAKINGFreeman has a 21-game hitting streak and has reached safely in 37 straight games. Both are career highs and the longest active streaks in the majors. ... Braves CF Ender Inciarte went 3 for 4 and has 87 hits, most in the majors, since the All-Star break.BACK ON THE HILLBraves RHP Jose Ramirez threw an eight-pitch eighth. Ramirez has appealed a three-game suspension handed imposed for throwing at the head of Miami pitcher Jose Fernandez.UP NEXTJoe Ross (7-4) is to start Sunday for the Nationals and RHP Matt Wisler (6-12) for the Braves. Ross is on the 60-day DL and has been sidelined since July 2 with shoulder inflammation. Wisler is 2/3 with a 5.19 ERA in five career starts and one relief appearance against Washington. ' ' '