"Defensive duties are always important, but particularly when the Dallas Mavericks are in attack mode.

And the Milwaukee Bucks paid the price with another road defeat Friday night as their defense melted down in a 102-76 shellacking by the defending league champions.

Vince Carter sliced through the Bucks with ease in the first quarter, setting the tone for Dallas' fourth straight victory.

The Bucks (4-7) remained winless on the road to go along with their unbeaten home record, a strange circumstance that is starting to wear on the team and its coach.

"It's very concerning, because we've been two totally different teams," coach Scott Skiles said. "We've been a very energetic group at home, much more active.

"Then we board a plane and it's like we're half asleep out there. It's just something we've got to continue to work at, talk about and try to get better at."

The Bucks played without center Andrew Bogut, who was sidelined with concussion symptoms after hitting his head on the Bradley Center floor in Milwaukee's victory over Detroit on Thursday night.

"Not having that inside presence going in and out kind of puts us in a bind," said point guard Brandon Jennings.

But so did the woeful defense, nearly a replay of the effort in the Bucks' last road game, a double-digit loss in Phoenix. Even in the team's home victory over San Antonio on Tuesday, the Spurs shot 60% and Detroit also got a big game from center Greg Monroe on Thursday.

"Particularly on the defensive end, we needed a great competitive effort," Skiles said. "Against a team like that with all the shooters they have, they're going to spread the ball around the floor and hurt you."