The Toon were well worth the points as Yoane Wissa, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes struck the goals on Wednesday night.
Howe said afterwards: "It was a really good performance from us. PSV are a difficult opponent; tactically, they are tough to play against. We were rewarded with some really good goals today.
"Really good night for Yoane Wissa and I am really pleased for him. In part he came to this club for nights like today. The players embraced the challenge and I thought it was the best individual performances from a lot of the players for a while.
"A lot of the players have excelled in this competition this year and Anthony Gordon is one of those."
Howe also explained Lewis Miley taking the captain's armband in the latter moments.
He said: "It was unscripted and unplanned, typical Kieran - thinking of other people. A great moment for Lewis."
On Wissa's goalscoring performance, Howe was particulatly pleased.
He added: "It has taken us a while to get him to the level that's his best. It was a big night for him tonight. Nights like this are part of the reason he joined us. I'm glad he was able to make the most of it."