HOUSTON — Luis Scola matched a season high with 23 points, Aaron Brooks added 20 and the Houston Rockets snapped a three-game losing streak with a 105-96 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday night.
Kyle Lowry added 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals, and Carl Landry scored 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter for the Rockets.
David Lee had 26 points and 12 rebounds, and Nate Robinson added 20 points for the Knicks, who had a three-game winning streak snapped.
The Rockets have won 11 of the last 13 meetings with the Knicks.
New York opened the game with a 14-3 run, led by four early baskets from Lee. The Knicks hit 12-of-19 shots in the first quarter (63 percent) and led 32-21.
Robinson hit his first four shots off the bench, three of them 3-pointers, and the Knicks preserved their lead in the second quarter. Lee scored 10 points in the first 10 minutes of the period and New York continued to shoot well.
The Rockets finished the first half with a 9-2 spurt to trail only 57-51 at the break. Lee scored 20 points and New York shot 56 percent from the field in the half (22 of 39).
Houston sank seven of its first 11 shots in the third quarter and Brooks' mid-range shot with 6:49 left tied it at 65. Brooks made a jumper from the top of the key with 3:37 left in the quarter to put Houston up 74-73, the Rockets' first lead since the first minute of the game.
Lowry, Houston's 6-foot backup point guard, swooped in for an offensive rebound and tip-in on the Rockets' next trip, prompting Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni to jump off the bench in anger and call timeout.
Rookie Chase Budinger hit a jumper from the free throw line, then intercepted a pass and raced for a dunk early in the fourth quarter for an 84-80 Rockets lead.
Houston stretched the lead to 93-86 as the Knicks' shooting continued to tail off after the hot start. Landry scored inside, hit a jumper, then drove for a dunk with 2:34 left to put Houston up 101-96.
The Knicks gave away a turnover and Lowry just beat the shot clock with a jumper from the top of the key with 1:38 remaining to put it away.
Notes
The Knicks allowed an opponent to score 100 points for only the third time in their last 16 games. … The Rockets have won seven straight home games. … Knicks F Al Harrington sat out for the second straight game with a strained left calf. D'Antoni expects Harrington to play in Monday's game in Oklahoma City. … The win opened a stretch for Houston with 11 home games over the next 14.