Rockets 121, Warriors 112
Kevin Martin scored 17 of his 30 points in the final eight minutes as the Houston Rockets finished strong in a 121-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Monday.
Luis Scola finished with 20 points and nine rebounds and Shane Battier hit two three-pointers in the last three minutes for Houston, which has won three straight.
The Rockets held an 81-75 advantage heading into the fourth quarter but watched that lead fall quickly as Vladimir Radmanovic drained a three-pointer at the top of the frame to spark a 16-6 burst.
Monta Ellis scored the final seven points of the spurt, giving Golden State an 89-87 lead on a jumper with 8:30 left.
Houston fought back, evening it at 96-96 on Martin’s layup with 5:37 left and taking the lead 47 seconds later when Martin nailed a 3-pointer. The Rockets cruised from there, extending the lead out to 115-103 on Martin’s free throws with under a minute on the clock.
Ellis finished with 43 points and David Lee added 19 for the Warriors, who have dropped eight of nine this month.