Hawks Vs. Magic Final Score: Atlanta Crush Orlando Without Dwight Howard 109-81

Instant Reaction: Okay, Hawks....go for that #3 seed and face the Orlando Magic in the first round. Please.

Game Recap: When everything goes right, everything goes right. Asides from Zaza Pachulia getting sidelined with a sprained ankle and Larry Drew not wearing a tie once again, there wasn't much to complain about this game.

The Hawks dominated from start to finish, not allowing the Orlando Magic to take the lead once, and taking the lead as high as 35 points.

It was a great overall team effort. There's really not one player that stood out a lot more than others, so the game ball will be shared by these players and their efforts:

• Joe Johnson scored 16 points in 5-9 shooting.
• Josh Smith also scored 16 points in 12 shots, while grabbing a team high 8 rebounds.
• Marvin Williams got his 3rd highest scoring mark of the season, scoring 16 points in 6-12 shooting.
• Tracy McGrady scored in double digits (11 points), something he hasn't done since February 8th.
• Jannero Pargo scored a game high 17 points, his 2nd highest scoring mark of the season.
• Jerry Stackhouse scored a season high 11 points in 13 minutes.

We're probably not going to see nights like this often though. Almost every single Hawks player were making their shots, while almost every player on the opposing team were missing their shots. Yes, give credit and props to the Hawks, but let's remember, Dwight Howard wasn't playing. I know even if Dwight played, the Hawks would have probably still won the game, but I think it's safe to say that it would have been a lot more competitive.

Other Notable Game Notes:

• As mentioned, it was a team effort tonight. The Hawks went 12 deep, and 10 of the 12 players (Collins & Dampier being the lone two) were marked in the scoring sheet.
• Vladimir Radmanovic played his first game since March 24th. Had a bad shooting night, but grabbed 7 rebounds and had a highlight block on Von Wafer.
• Jeff Teague only played 14 minutes due to.... foul trouble, Hinrich playing well, and the fact that it was a blowout and he wasn't needed.
• Willie Green was not with the team, as he returned home because he and his wife are expecting a child. Congrats to the Green family!
• We finally saw the worst Twin Tower combination in the NBA play on the court together, Jason Collins and Erick Dampier. I'm pretty sure there's not a slower frontcourt combination than this one.

Final Thought: This game just helped my "Dwight Howard should have won MVP last season" case. Without Dwight Howard, this Orlando Magic team just isn't a team that will give anyone a scare. Without Dwight, it's a lot easier to key in on their shooters, and it's a lot easier to score inside.

Next Game: The Toronto Raptors were the allies of the Hawks tonight, as they upset the Boston Celtics. However, they will be enemies for the next two games as the Hawks play a back-to-back against them on Sunday and Monday.