ATLANTA -- Dwight Howard was everything the Hawks were hoping for in his hometown debut.Tim Hardaway Jr. in a starring role?That was a major surprise.Hardaway scored 21 points and ignited a fourth-quarter outburst that carried new-look Atlanta to a 114-99 victory over the Washington Wizards in the season opener Thursday night.Howard, who returned to the city where he grew up in the Hawks biggest offseason move, did nothing to disappoint. He grabbed 19 rebounds -- more than anyone had for Atlanta all of last season -- and was a huge presence at the defensive end, disrupting shots and giving his teammates the freedom to be more aggressive on the perimeter.The worst thing you can do is lay an egg in the first game, said Howard, who also had 11 points and three blocks. I think all of us were a little nervous in the first half because we want to do so well. We really want put on for this city. ... Once we kind of settled in, kind of got our feet wet, we took it to another level.Paul Millsap, for one, didnt have to spend so much time banging on the boards. He took advantage at the offensive end, leading the Hawks with 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting.But Hardaway was the one who really came up big, which was totally unexpected given that he was largely confined to the bench and even spent time in the D-League during his first season with the Hawks.Its definitely a new page, a new start, Hardaway said. But (last season) will always be the intro to me in Atlanta. That will always be in the back of my head, how they pushed me, how they got me prepared to get to this point in my career.Hardaway scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, including back-to-back 3-pointers that helped Atlanta pull away, and wound up matching his best showing in a Hawks uniform. Thabo Sefolosha was another key contributor off the bench, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the third quarter.The Hawks, who led only 81-80 heading to the final period, outscored the Wizards 33-19 over the final 12 minutes.Markieff Morris led Washington with 22 points, but it was a tough night for the Wizards dynamic backcourt duo. John Wall finished with only 12 points on 3-of-15 shooting, while Bradley Beal was held to 13 in the debut for new Washington coach Scott Brooks.We got a lot of good looks. Some went down, some didnt, Beal said. But at the end of the day, we cant control our offense. We can control our defense and our effort. We just gave up the last quarter and a half.TIP INSWizards: Marcin Gortat had 11 rebounds but didnt have much help. Washington was outrebounded 52-40. ... Otto Porter was the only other Washington player in double figures with 10 points. ... The Wizards locked arms during the national anthem.Hawks: Howard posted the most rebounds for anyone in their Atlanta debut, breaking the mark of 18 that Shareef Abdur-Rahim set at Houston on Oct. 30, 2001. ... Dennis Schroder, taking over as the starting point guard after the trade of Jeff Teague, had 14 points but only two assists.BROOKS RETURNSAfter deciding not to pursue a coaching job last season, Brooks was back on an NBA sideline with the Wizards.He spent six-plus seasons guiding the Oklahoma City Thunder before he was fired in 2015 after the team failed to make the playoffs.TEMPERS FLAREAtlantas Kent Bazemore was called for a flagrant foul early in the third quarter when he got underneath Wall as the Washington star went in for a breakaway dunk, sending him tumbling to the court.Wall hopped up, looking to go after Bazemore, but several players stepped in before something more serious could develop.Bazemore said he didnt mean to make contact with Wall.I dont play the game that way, Bazemore said. It was just an unfortunate play. We hugged and made up after that.UP NEXTWizards: Play at Memphis on Sunday, facing a Grizzlies team that began the season with a 102-98 victory over Minnesota.Hawks: Travel to Philadelphia on Saturday to take on the 76ers, who went 10-72 last season and opened with a loss to Oklahoma City.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . Grey Ultra Boost 2018 . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. Wholesale Ultra Boost 2018 . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. http://www.cheapultraboostsale.com/ . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home. Ultra Boost 2018 Discount . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. White Ultra Boost 2018 . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move.PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles are setting up Riley Cooper with sensitivity training after the wide receiver was caught on video making a racial slur. "In meeting with Riley yesterday, we decided together that his next step will be to seek outside assistance to help him fully understand the impact of his words and actions," the team said in a statement Thursday. "He needs to reflect. As an organization, we will provide the resources he needs to do so." Cooper apologized profusely Wednesday after a video of him using the N-word at a Kenny Chesney concert last month surfaced on the Internet. The Eagles immediately fined him, and the league plans no further discipline. "I know Riley made a heinous mistake," coach Chip Kelly said. "I was appalled by it. I was actually shocked by it because since Ive been here since April, thats not the Riley Cooper I know. He accepted responsibility for it and he has to live with it, but I hope at some point in time well have a chance to move on from it. "But right now I dont think its going to be something thats going to go away very quickly." Cooper, who grew up in Clearwater, Fla., was selected in the fifth round of the 2010 draft by the Eagles out of the University of Florida. He has just 46 catches and five touchdowns in three years with the Eagles, but has been practicing with tthe starters since Jeremy Maclins season-ending injury last week.dddddddddddd Teammates Michael Vick, Jason Avant and others expressed forgiveness for Cooper. LeSean McCoy also said he forgives Cooper, but he doesnt view him the same anymore. "Just on a friendship level, and as a person, I cant really respect somebody like that," McCoy said. "I think as a team, we need to move past it. There are some things that are going to be hard to work with, to be honest." Cooper spoke to the media again after practice Thursday, telling them his meeting with teammates a night earlier was "extremely emotional." "Theres been no friction," Cooper told reporters. "I respect a lot of the guys that came up to me yesterday and today. Numerous, numerous, numerous players said, Coop, we know thats not the type of person you are. We respect you, and were behind you, and if you need anything, call me, text me, you know Im there for you. That definitely felt good." Cooper could have trouble outside the locker room when hes on the field. Defenders may go after him even harder than usual now. "You dont want to see that, but somebody is," Dallas Cowboys safety Will Allen said. "Somebody is going to be mad and perpetuate the negativity. I dont think thats something we should do, but I am sure it will happen." ' ' '