Howard didn't feel need to beat Rockets in return to Houston

The Atlanta Hawks' 20-point, fourth-quarter comeback on the road against the Houston Rockets on Thursday could be considered a storybook victory, but Dwight Howard said afterward he had no extra incentive as a former Rocket.

"I didn't really think about it like that," Howard said, according to ESPN's Calvin Watkins. "It wasn't like, 'Oh, we've got to beat Houston because this is my first time back.' I just knew we needed to win."

Howard left Houston as a free agent last summer, amid reports that both James Harden and general manager Daryl Morey were more than ready to move on from the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Howard expected boos at the Toyota Center, but got a mixed reaction from the crowd.

Earlier Thursday, Harden admitted his focus on basketball waned last season.

Howard tied his season high with 23 rebounds in the win, one that featured teammate Tim Hardaway Jr. exploding for 23 fourth-quarter points to give Atlanta the win.

"I've been a part of some really good games," Howard said. "This was up there. It was just the intensity that we had on both ends of the floor."