The Atlanta Hawks' last playoff season began with their last season-opening win.

It's no wonder Joe Johnson and the Hawks placed so much emphasis on their 101-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

Atlanta opened with a win for the first time since the 1998-99 season, and the Hawks believe a strong start is needed to end their eight-year playoff drought, the longest active streak in the NBA.

Johnson scored 28 points to offset a 28-point effort by Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, and the Hawks outscored the Mavericks 11-4 in the final three minutes to take the win.