Hawks' last chance to stop Orlando, Howard

By Ken Sugiura

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

How do you solve a problem like Dwight Howard?

Three Orlando Magic beatings into the season, the Hawks are grasping for answers. They will try again Wednesday night at Philips Arena, where Orlando will attempt a season sweep and a seventh consecutive win over the Hawks in the final regular-season meeting between the two teams.

"I feel like we go into the game and we have a game plan, and then we get hit in the mouth and then everything gets thrown out the window," said swingman Mo Evans.

"I feel like other teams play them well in our division," center Al Horford said. "We kind of have to figure out what works best for us."

Hawks fans know the drill. Led by Howard, the four-time All-Star center from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, the Magic have had the Hawks' number, and a few of their letters. The Magic's three wins over the Hawks this season have been by an average of 22.3 points. The Magic won the first game by winning the second half 54-25, the second when Howard was limited to 12 points but his teammates made 12 3-pointers and the third when Howard detonated the Hawks with 31 points and 19 rebounds.

"We've got to find out whether we're going to take the shooters away or take Dwight away on the inside," forward Joe Smith said. "They present a tough challenge for every team with that."

The Hawks have found that rub more mystifying than most. As Horford noted, the rest of the Southeast Division is 5-6 against the Magic, each team having beaten Orlando at least once. However, of the Hawks' seven worst losses of the season, three were against the Magic.

With 12 regular-season games remaining, the game carries added significance, as the Hawks are trying to overtake Boston for the No. 3 playoff spot (they are both 45-25, but the Celtics would hold a tiebreaker as a division champion). Further, should the Hawks win the No. 3 position, the Magic likely would be their  second-round opponent.

At the team's Tuesday film session, Smith said coach Mike Woodson was contemplating a few different defensive game plans for the Magic that he wanted to sleep on and present to the team at the Wednesday morning shootaround. Boiled down, it comes down to a few options -- double-team Howard and risk leaving the Magic's cadre of 3-point shooters open, defend Howard straight up and risk him eating the Hawks alive, or alternating between the two.

"It's like pick your poison. There's nothing magical about it with their team," said Woodson, apparently not intending the pun.

Evans and Horford think sticking with one strategy, whichever it is, works better. Smith prefers mixing the two.

"You don't want anybody to get too comfortable in what you're doing," he said.

Horford, who took home a DVD with clips of Howard's post-up moves, said he planned to play more aggressively on offense to spend Howard's energy and perhaps get him into foul trouble. Horford averaged 5.7 shots against the Magic in the first three games, 4.6 shots below his season average.

He struck a hopeful tone.

Said Horford, "I think we'll be able to do a good job on him [Wednesday]."