DALLAS -- The Mavericks , with a 12-6 home record, are the NBA's lone division leader with more than four home losses. And at 13-6 on the road, Dallas actually owns a higher winning percentage away from their home arena that has been so good to them in seasons past.

They'll try to reverse the trend (again) Wednesday when the Los Angeles Lakers come to town for the first time this season. The Lakers have the fewest road losses (five) in the Western Conference and are tied with Boston for fewest in the league (although, at just 8-5, the Lakers' road record isn't as glamorous as it first seems. They've played just 13 road games compared to 24 at home). The Mavs are fast approaching last season's nine total home losses.

"Maybe we’re a little bit looser, a little bit more engaged because it's just us on the road and we kind of sit back at home and feel like we’re going to go on a little 8-0 or 10-0 run to get us back in the game," Jason Kidd said. "Normally the Mavs have always been dominant at home and maybe struggled a little bit on the road."

Not this season. The Mavs are coming off their worst home loss of the year, 111-93, against the Utah Jazz, which is just 7-11 on the road. At least that game came the night after the Mavs exerted themselves for 42 points in the fourth quarter to pull away in San Antonio. Other home losses, such as to Washington in the home opener and to a depleted Golden State squad, are more difficult to explain away. There's been several other close calls as well.

Coach Rick Carlisle thinks he has a pretty good idea why the Mavs have underwhelmed at home.

"It’s something we’ve been working at and addressing really since the early stages and that is we just don’t play with the same focus, play with the same disposition, particularly to start games as we do on the road and so it’s a major concern," Carlisle said. "We've got to continue to talk about it, be honest about the realities and address it and get better with it."

After the Lakers roll through on Wednesday, Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder are in town Friday night. The improving Thunder are a surprising 10-8 on the road. Not surprisingly, the Mavs beat the Thunder, 100-86, in Oklahoma City last month, using a fourth-quarter run to gain separation.

"It’s something that we have to figure out," Kidd said of the Mavs' energy-deficient home outings. "We’ve got a lot more home games left and we've got to start defending home court and acting with that urgency like we do on the road."