Stan Van Gundy turned to his assistant coaches on the Orlando Magic bench, unsure what to do with star Dwight Howard finally avoiding foul trouble and his team on his way to a blowout victory. “Should I give Dwight a rest?” Van Gundy asked. “They said, ‘No. Just let it ride.”’ What a ride it was. Howard had 21 points and 12 rebounds in one of the most crushing playoff wins in Magic history, a 114-71 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal. Howard added five blocks and avoided the fouls and frustration that overwhelmed him in the first round, helping the Magic go ahead by as many as 46 points. Vince Carter finished with 20 points as Orlando showed no signs of rust after an eight-day layoff since sweeping Charlotte. Maybe all Howard needed was some time to cool off. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap;_ylt=AvCGgQH.Hrf0T08ZGgzKRYa8vLYF?gid=2010050419
