HoopsVibe

Antawn Jamison posted a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds while Caron Butler sprang for 14 points, nine boards and seven assists for the Wizards, who have won three of their last four contests.

"It feels great actually," Arenas said of snapping Dallas' streak. "It shows what we are capable of doing if we come out and play hard. But we have to get a streak of our own to catch up. We have to make up for lost time."

Dirk Nowitzki had a team-high 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Dallas, which fell for the first time since dropping its first four games of the season. Jerry Stackhouse and Devean George each had 14 points in defeat.

"They were impressive offensively, they got whatever they wanted," Nowitzki said. "Early on, it seemed like we weren't ready to play. They got lay-ups and wide open jump-shots. In the fourth quarter, we finally played some defense. We all know that in this league you have to play good defense to win on the road."

Washington used a 10-2 burst in the latter stages of the first quarter to build a nine-point cushion. Jamison had four points in the run, including a jumper with 4:20 on the clock that made it 23-14. After one quarter of play, the Wizards led 31-23.

The home team continued to stretch its advantage in the second quarter, outscoring its opponent 28-18 in the frame to assume a 59-41 halftime lead. The Wizards used an 11-2 charge starting in the middle of the quarter to extend their lead to 51-33.

Arenas dropped in 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting and dished out five assists, while Jamison collected 12 points and six boards in the first 24 minutes.

Washington led by as many as 31 points, as Jarvis Hayes nailed a three-pointer with 6:26 left in the third. The Wizards led 88-66 going into the fourth.

The Mavs went on a 16-4 run late in the fourth to move within single digits, but never got closer than seven points.

Etan Thomas had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards, who dominated on the glass by a 53-39 count. DeShawn Stevenson ended with 12 points for Washington.

Game Notes

The Mavericks registered a franchise-best 14 straight wins from October 30th to November 27, 2002...Dallas had won the past six meetings against Washington...The Wizards shot 49.5 percent from the floor, while Dallas shot 39.7 percent...Brendan Haywood had 10 boards for the Wizards.