ATLANTA -- Dwight Howard is expected to return to the Atlanta lineup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, but the Hawks showed at Oklahoma City that they can win without their new center.
Forward Paul Millsap took Howard's position in the middle as the Hawks went small on Monday, and he provided 30 points and 11 rebounds in the 110-108 victory over the Thunder.
"I just tried to frustrate the guys as much as possible," said the 6-foot-8 Millsap, who played center in high school and college. "I had some help down there rebounding. It wasn't all me. I had a lot of help."
The victory was the second in three games for the up-and-down Hawks (14-14) and they can get back over .500 with a home victory against the Timberwolves.
Howard said after missing the Thunder game because of back tightness that he expected to play against Minnesota (8-19).
"It's nowhere near anything long term," he said. "In the Toronto game (Friday), it's been bothering me since then. It started flaring up after the last game (Saturday). Instead of allowing it to keep going and playing through it, rest it and I should be ready to go Wednesday."
In addition to Millsap, the Hawks got a big game from point guard Dennis Schroder against the Thunder.
Schroder, adjusting to the starting role after Jeff Teague was traded in the offseason, had 31 points and eight assists at Oklahoma City. It was his second 31-point outing in the past 10 games and he also had a 33-point effort.
Schroder struggled with turnovers and decision-making during the Hawks' seven-game losing streak, but has responded after some tough love from coach Mike Budenholzer.
"I just tried to do everything I can to win games," Schroder said. "He got on me. He said do this, do that, do this. I just try to compete out there."
The victory at Oklahoma City snapped a six-game losing streak by the Hawks against Western Conference team and they face another in the Timberwolves.
Minnesota won both games against the Hawks last season, including a 117-107 victory at Atlanta in which Andrew Wiggins scored 33 points.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points, Wiggins scored 26 and Zach LaVine contributed 23 points as the Timberwolves defeated Phoenix 115-108 in Minnesota on Monday.
The Timberwolves are the only team in the NBA with three players averaging at least 20 points -- Towns (22.3), Wiggins (22.0) and LaVine (20.8). That hasn't translated to anything close to a winning record, though, in Tom Thibodeau's first year as coach.
"It's all about improvement," Thibodeau said "Each and every day, do the right things. The big thing for me is, I'm disappointed in losing, but I'm not disappointed in our team. I see the way they're working. I see the improvement. We're trying to build habits."
Wiggins and LaVine are just in their third year in the NBA and Towns his second. It takes time to learn to win.
"It's not like we're getting blown out or getting killed by other teams," Wiggins said. "We're playing good games. We're just not finishing."
