Rockets 114, Hawks 109
Kevin Martin scored 35 points and Luis Scola added six of his 15 in the final 3:36 as the Houston Rockets kept their playoff hopes alive with a 114-109 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
Chuck Hayes collected 19 points and 12 rebounds and Kyle Lowry chipped in 17 points and eight assists for the Rockets (41-36), who stayed within three games of the New Orleans Hornets (44-33) and Memphis Grizzlies (44-33) for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Joe Johnson scored 25 points and Josh Smith added 21 and 11 boards as the Hawks (44-33) had their four-game winning streak end.
After surrendering 40 points in the second quarter to go into the half down, 63-54, Houston locked down on defense in the third, outscoring the Hawks 32-18 to grab the lead.
Atlanta did not stay down for long, battling back in the fourth and finally regaining the lead when Johnson buried a jumper to make it 100-99 with 4:26 to play. Houston got baskets from Scola and Martin to jump back on top, and Martin clinched it from the free throw line where he was 12 for 13 overall.