Rockets 112, Nets 87
Kyle Lowry had 16 points - all in the first half - and 10 assists as the visiting Houston Rockets kept their playoff hopes intact with their 10th straight victory over the New Jersey Nets, a 112-87 romp Tuesday.
Kevin Martin scored 20 points and Chuck Hayes grabbed 14 rebounds for the Rockets (39-35), who have won six of seven and moved within two games of eighth-place Memphis in the Western Conference.
Brook Lopez scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half and Kris Humphries had 13 rebounds for the Nets (23-50), who have lost six of their last seven overall and eight straight to the Rockets at home.
The Rockets finished the first quarter with a 17-2 run, capped by Lowry's 3-pointer, to take a 34-21 lead. The Nets did not get any closer than 12 points thereafter and trailed 61-43 at halftime.
Humphries had 11 of New Jersey's 19 rebounds in the first half, while Hayes had eight of Houston's 31.
Martin scored 12 points in the third quarter as the Rockets increased their lead to 83-63. Houston improved to 32-19 when Martin scores 20 or more points.
Lowry, who has reached double figures in scoring in a career-high 15 straight games, also added seven rebounds. He recorded his first career triple-double in a 110-108 victory over Utah on March 20.