Dwight Howard played great in Charlotte's 129-117 win over the Hawks Thursday with 33 points and 12 rebounds, but that didn't impress former teammate Dennis Schroder. It actually opened up old wounds.

Howard's effort has been questioned in the past, and the issue came to a head last season when the former Hawks center was pulled over in the early-morning hours before Atlanta took on the Wizards in a Game 6 playoff matchup, a game his team ultimately lost.

His former Hawks' teammates remember that incident and Schroder refuses to forget it.

"He plays always great against his former team," Schroder told reporters after the game via Fox Sports Southeast. "Credit to him too, but that's like four games each year, you know? Houston, LA, us. I think he's always giving his best there but the others games he (shrugs)."

Dennis Schroder on Dwight Howard:



"He plays always great against his former team. Credit to him too, but that's like four games each year, you know? Houston, LA, us. I think he's always giving his best there but the others games he ." — KL Chouinard (@KLChouinard) March 16, 2018

Schroder wasn't exactly wrong as Howard told reporters after the game that the trade motivated him.

"Everything happens for a reason. It motivated me to just come back this season with a different mindset. Play with more confidence and stuff like that. So thank you, Bud," Howard said, via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Dwight Howard on play vs. Hawks after trade: "Everything happens for a reason. It motivated me to just come back this season with a different mindset. Play with more confidence and stuff like that. So thank you, Bud." — Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) March 16, 2018

The Hawks and Hornets do not play again this year.