ATLANTA – Josh Howard will return from his two-game suspension tonight in the Mavericks' home opener.

He needs to bring all of his rebounding skills with him.

For the second game in a row, the Mavericks were punished on the boards, and while they got away with it in the season opener, it cost them dearly Friday.

The Atlanta Hawks – looking nothing like the soft touches they've been for nearly a decade – outworked the Mavericks most of the night and were rewarded with a 101-94 victory at Philips Arena.

The Hawks outrebounded the Mavericks 52-38, outdoing the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won the glass 47-36 in the opener.

"We weren't having our best night," coach Avery Johnson said. "This is one of our poor performances. And we're very concerned about the rebounding. We're not going to be able to continue to rebound like that and beat anybody.

"It's good for us to go home and get some home cooking."

Atlanta had not won a season opener since 1998-99.

The loss was compounded when Devin Harris, who was off to a sizzling start in the first game and a half, took a shot to his left thigh in the second quarter on a drive by Josh Smith.

Harris suffered a contusion and was out for the night. He's listed as day-to-day, but gauging from Harris' diagnosis, he will not play tonight against Sacramento.

"My thigh is pretty sore, so we will see how it responds," Harris said. "It's day-to-day right now. I'm hoping to be back for the Houston game."

The Houston game is Monday.

Harris' injury came before the Mavericks made their way back from an early 16-point deficit. They finally pulled ahead by a point after a gripping third quarter that featured 11 lead changes.

Without Harris and Howard, Johnson mixed and matched lineups, going with his big group of Dirk Nowitzki, Brandon Bass and DeSagana Diop until Diop fouled out. He also utilized J.J. Barea, who had 14 points in nine minutes.

But the game boiled down to a couple of fateful possessions in the fourth quarter, including one when the Mavericks couldn't find a rebound – a glaring problem all night.

Jason Terry had just brought the Mavericks within 95-92 on a jumper with 32.6 seconds left. They needed a stop and got a terrific block by Bass on the Hawks' Joe Johnson, who had 28 points.

But the ball bounced off Bass' back and back to the Hawks. Johnson got an open look and drilled a jumper to end the Mavericks' chances.

"Very frustrating," said Bass, who played an effective 27 minutes. "I gave my best effort; the ball just didn't come my way after I got a block."

AP

Atlanta's Josh Smith (left) drives against the Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki for two of his 18 points.

It typified the night.

"It was a hell of a block, and it was just an unfortunate bounce," said Nowitzki, who had 28 for the Mavericks. "But it was just one of many plays. I missed a layup when we were down two that I should have made. Jet had a great look on a 3-ball with a minute to go. Things just didn't go our way."

Then, Nowitzki mentioned how much Howard is missed at times like this.

"This is his kind of game," he said. "He would have been great tonight running up and down with his athleticism."

Instead, his season debut will come tonight. The Mavericks could take some solace in going 1-1 on the Eastern Conference trip to open the season.

"It's better than going home 0-2," Johnson said.

And, as Jerry Stackhouse said, the Hawks were deserving winners on this night.

"I don't know if they stepped up because it was us or because it was their home opener," he said. "But if they can find that type of effort night in and night out, they're a playoff team, no doubt about it."