hero, having started out his career in the city.--

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Dwight Howard lost his cool, and the Atlanta Hawks lost a potentially key Eastern Conference game.Howard was ejected with 5:38 left and his team leading by three when he threw an elbow at the head of Charlotte center Cody Zeller and received a Flagrant-2 foul. The Hornets scored the next nine points -- seven by Kemba Walker -- and snapped Atlantas six-game winning streak with a 100-96 victory Friday night.Nic Batum had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Zeller matched his career high with 23 points on 9-of-10 shooting for the Hornets (8-3), who earned their biggest win of the season.Walker overcame a slow start to score 19 of his 21 points in the second half for his 10th straight 20-point game.Howard said afterward the contact wasnt intentional and he didnt think it cost his team the game.It wasnt like I tried to hit him in the face, but my job is to protect my house -- at all costs, said Howard, who finished with 10 points and 18 rebounds. I am making no apologies for it.Paul Millsap, who led the Hawks with 22 points and 13 rebounds, said the ejection fueled the home crowd.Plays like that are momentum shifts, Millsap said. It kind of sparked them. They took that and added fuel to the fire.The ejection revved up the crowd -- and apparently Walker, too.The 6-foot point guard drove baseline and made a reverse layup to give the Hornets the lead for good. Walker added another layup off a hesitation dribble and then connected on a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to push the lead to six.Zeller said after the game he didnt think Howards elbow to the face was a dirty play.I have taken a lot of hard hits with two older brothers, Zeller said. I knew it was going to be a physical game. But it was a huge play in the game because they couldnt go to him late in the game and we went on a run.TIP-INSHawks: Howard had 11 rebounds at halftime, while the rest of the starting lineup had two combined. ... The Hawks shot just 3 of 17 from the field in the fourth quarter.Hornets: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist did a nice job guarding Kyle Korver, limiting him to two points through the first three quarters. ... Jeremy Lamb was close to returning to the lineup but is still bothered by a hamstring injury.STRONG SECOND HALFWalker, who came in averaging 25.8 points per game -- the third-best mark in the Eastern Conference -- missed all seven of his shots from the field in the first half but was 8 of 13 the rest of the way.There wasnt anything different, Walker said. I was aggressive all night, I just stayed aggressive. At one point shots just werent falling for me like they have been lately. I stuck with it, my teammates just kept telling me `stay with it, its going to fall. I just tried to play the game and pick my spots and I was able to come up with some big plays.HORNETS COMEBACKSIn six of Charlottes eight wins the team has come back from 10 points down. Now, the Hornets have a busy stretch coming up with 18 games in 32 days.If were a good team, the kind of team we need to be, then we have to get on this plane with the right attitude and find a way to play a good game tomorrow night on the road and win, coach Steve Clifford said. Thats what the good teams do.SUPPORTING DWIGHTKorver threw his support behind Howard after the game.Hes just kind of a safety net for us, Korver said. Hes back there with all that size, I think he had 18 rebounds tonight, and hes back there to protect the paint. Thats his job. Thats what hes great at.UP NEXTHawks: Travel to New York to face the Knicks on Sunday afternoon.Hornets: Head out on the road to New Orleans to face the Pelicans on Saturday night. Bob Griese Womens Jersey .ca. Hey Kerry, big fan of yours, just finished reading your book. I think that we all saw the Canucks/Flames line brawl just after puck drop. It was obvious that something was about to happen, even to the referees because the fourth lines were on to start. Larry Csonka Dolphins Jersey . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. http://www.dolphinsrookiestore.com/Dolphins-Jason-Taylor-Jersey/ . Fernandez, coached in Toronto by former two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser, scored 267.11 points and is the first champion to successfully defend since Russias Evgeny Plushenko in 2005 and 2006. Cameron Wake Dolphins Jersey . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. Christian Wilkins Womens Jersey . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. PARIS -- Somehow, a classic encounter between Germany and Italy is not the main attraction of the quarterfinal-stage at the European Championship.Icelands next act in what is already one of the most surprising stories in European Championship history is the match thats drawing most attention.Can the team, which surprised so many by beating England 2-1 in the round of 16, do the same to host France when they meet at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis?The island nation of just 330,000 people has undoubtedly taken the spotlight from all the others in the final eight, including Wales, which other times would be basking in its underdog status. And its overshadowed other themes, such as Cristiano Ronaldos quest for an elusive first title with Portugal.Heres a look at how the Euro 2016 drama is peaking after what most concede to have been a lackluster group stage:---MANIC MONDAYA truly memorable day in European Championship history whetted appetites for the quarterfinals.Two-time defending champion Spain lost to an Italian team thats defied its old reputation for dour, defensive play.That was just a warm-up act.Icelands 2-1 victory over England is one of the most surprising results in European Championship history. After all, as England great Gary Lineker quipped on Twitter, Iceland has more volcanoes than professional soccer players.---ICE, ICE, BABYNext up for Iceland: France in its national stadium on Sunday. Now, home fans are starting to believe their team can replicate the Euro 1984 and 1998 World Cup teams by winning on home soil.But, given what happened to England, and others, French fans will likely be a little wary now about the match that concludes the quarterfinals.Iceland, in its first appearance at the European Championship, has other achievements to brag about. The team also drew 1-1 with Portugal, daring to celebrate to the seeming annoyance of Ronaldo.Then came the late drama of Icelands last two group games against Hungary and Austria; the global discovery of national TVs hysterical match commentator; culminating in the delicious upset of England.---GERMANY CRUISINGQuietly, ominously, Germany cruised into the quarterfinals without conceding a goal.Italy coach Antonio Conte says the 2014 World Cup winner is the best team in France, which is part-truth and part-psychological.If one team can intimidate Germany, its Italy.Italys 2-1 win in a Euroo 2012 semifinal extended a tradition of German losses that includes World Cup semifinals in 2006 and 1970, and the 1982 World Cup final.ddddddddddddItaly has played two top-class teams at Euro 2016 -- Belgium and Spain -- and comfortably won both 2-0---GOLDEN YEARSIf not now, then when for Belgium?A so-called golden generation is finally shining ahead of playing a Gareth Bale-inspired Wales that is united and must not be underestimated.Belgium failed to impress at the 2014 World Cup when tamely losing a quarterfinal to Argentina, and its inhibited play in losing to Italy in the first game of the group stage looked more of the same.Since then, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne have starred in three straight wins -- the combined score, 8-0.However, how good were those opponents? Ireland, Sweden and Hungary all came through the Euro 2016 playoffs and would not have qualified under the old 16-team format.Wales need not fear Belgium in Fridays match after they advanced through the same qualifying group. Wales drew 0-0 in Brussels, then won 1-0 at home with Bale scoring.Belgium is unlikely to be short of fans. After all, the match takes place in Lille, near the Belgian border. And Hazard is a local hero, having started out his career in the city.---CRISTIANOS QUESTAt 31, this is likely Ronaldos last good chance to win a trophy with Portugal, an achievement that could propel him to another Ballon dOr over great rival Lionel Messi.Now at his seventh finals tournament, Ronaldo came closest at his first, but the Euro 2004 host lost in the final to Greece.A quarterfinal against Poland and a so-far misfiring Robert Lewandowski is an offer Portugal would surely have taken before the tournament. Belgium or Wales await the winner.---GETTING BETTEREuro 2016 picked up welcome momentum in a round of 16 spread over three days, each one having its own distinct character.Saturdays slow start slumped to a dire end; on Sunday, the big boys roughed up the underdogs; Monday peaked with two compelling dramas.The first half of the tournament was memorable mostly for the fans: A happy, noisy and friendly majority, but with nasty outbreaks of fighting and flare-throwing.The final two weeks needs to be remembered for the quality of the games and the goals. ' ' '