Cuttino Mobley and Steve Francis both scored 17 points and Yao Ming landed 10 to lead Houston to a 101-86 win over the Seattle SuperSonics on Saturday, keeping slim playoff hopes alive for the Rockets.
The Rockets will be eliminated from the post-season with one more loss or one more Phoenix win. The Suns were due to host San Antonio yesterday.
Houston stayed alive for at least one more day thanks to 50 percent shooting from the field.
PHOTO: AFP
Mobley scored 13 of his 17 points in the third quarter. Seven Rockets hit double figures, including Eddie Griffin and Glen Rice, who both had 15 points.
Brent Barry had 23 points to lead Seattle while Rashard Lewis added 19. It was the fourth game in five nights for Seattle, which closed to within 50-48 at the half.
But a 25-5 run by the Rockets early in the third quarter put the game out of reach.
Hawks 101, Wizards 100
In Washington, Ira Newble's dunk off an offensive dribble with eight seconds left gave the Atlanta Hawks a 101-100 triumph over the Wizards.
Michael Jordan had 17 points in 30 minutes for the Wizards, including a go-ahead basket with 18 seconds remaining. But he missed the game's final shot, a 20-footer that would have given Washington the win.
Magic 89, Celtics 86
In Orlando, Tracy McGrady bagged 37 points as the Magic edged the Boston Celtics 89-86.
Gordan Giricek hit a three-point shot with 32 seconds left for the game-winning basket as the Magic won their third straight game. Giricek finished with 16 points.
Paul Pierce led Boston with 25 points and nine rebounds.
Nets 94, Raptors 86
In East Rutherford, Richard Jefferson recorded 21 points to lead New Jersey to a 94-86 win over the Toronto Raptors, putting the Nets into first place in the Eastern Conference.
New Jersey leads Detroit by 1/2 game in the overall standings. Kenyon Martin added 19 points and nine rebounds.
Morris Peterson had 22 points for the Raptors, who played with just seven players and trailed by as many as 23 points in the second half.
Cavaliers 104, Knicks 99 (OT)
In Cleveland, Ricky Davis had 37 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Cavaliers to a 104-99 overtime victory over the New York Knicks.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 20 points for Cleveland (16-64) while Carlos Boozer scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
Kurt Thomas, with 23 points, and Shandon Anderson, with a season-high 21, led the Knicks.
Mavericks 117, Warriors 108
In Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki had 37 points and 12 rebounds as the Mavericks picked up their team record 58th win of the season, 117-108 over the Golden State Warriors.
Steve Nash added 21 points and 10 assists for Dallas, which snapped a three-game losing streak.
Antawn Jamison had 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Warriors, who have lost five games out of seven.
Clippers 101, Nuggets 79
In Denver, Marko Jaric picked up 17 points to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 101-79 rout of the lowly Denver Nuggets.
Lamar Odom added 13 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Clippers while Corey Maggette had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
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