By Ivan Carter
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 21, 2006; E04

Life on the road can be difficult for any NBA team, but the Washington Wizards have particularly struggled this season, dropping their first four away games.

The franchise hasn't opened 0-5 on the road since 1986-87, when the Bullets dropped their first seven road games. That team recovered to finish 42-40 and qualified for the playoffs, but the Wizards are eager to avoid digging a similar hole as they open a three-game trip tonight against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

The Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies (0-5) and Toronto Raptors (0-6) are the only teams in the league without a road victory. Statistically, the difference between Washington's home and away performance is striking.

In five home games, the Wizards (4-5) are averaging 112.2 points, shooting 46.6 percent from the field and averaging 11.8 turnovers. In four away games, they are averaging 92.5 points, shooting 42.3 percent and committing 15.2 turnovers.

"I don't know what it is, whether it's the crowd, being at home and sleeping in our own beds or what but when we get on this court we play and we play hard," guard DeShawn Stevenson said following Saturday's 111-99 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. "We just have to find a way to take that with us on the road. I think we need to get more rest on the road, you know, get a nice meal and just sit back and relax.

"You do that at home but when you are on the road, you're going to the mall, doing this, doing that and I think we need to get more focused, win a couple of games and get clicking when we're out there."

Apart from a 20-point blowout against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden last Wednesday, the Wizards have been competitive on the road even though they haven't played their best basketball.

Washington suffered three-point losses at Cleveland on Nov. 1 and Orlando on Nov. 6 and held a nine-point second-quarter lead at Detroit on Friday before the Pistons pulled away in the game's final three minutes for a 100-91 victory.

One key has been the production of two-time all-star guard Gilbert Arenas, who has three 40-point outings at home while struggling on the road.

If it's true that basketball teams tend to take on the characteristics of their best player, the Wizards' road performance is easily explained by examining Arenas's output. At Verizon Center, Arenas is averaging 36.6 points, shooting 50.9 percent from the field and shooting 51.1 percent from three-point range.

On the road, Arenas is averaging 18.3 points while shooting 28.2 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from three-point range.

Aside from his shooting difficulties, Arenas has been visibly agitated by the way games have been called by referees away from Verizon Center. He was in foul trouble in the losses at Cleveland and Detroit, and appeared to lose aggressiveness after being whistled for charging in those games and during the loss at New York when he missed all seven of his three-point attempts.

Arenas has not been alone in losing focus at times when calls aren't going the team's way.

"Our biggest problem has been bickering at the referees down the stretch," forward Antawn Jamison said. "You have to understand it's called the road for a reason. When you're playing against a hostile crowd, sometimes you aren't going to get the calls and you have to deal with that.

"In the last couple of losses, we were doing a little too much talking to the referees instead of concentrating on what we need to do down the stretch. Those last two minutes have been what's really hurt us, so if we can keep our focus, we'll get back on track."