Houston — Jason Kidd has no trouble scoring against the Houston Rockets, regardless of the uniform he's wearing.
Kidd scored a career-high 43 points, including 16 of Phoenix's last 17 points, as the Suns rallied past the Rockets 90-85 Thursday night.
Kidd shot 16-for-34 from the field and 6-for-8 from the line and beat his previous high of 38 points scored against the Rockets on April 11, 1995, when he was a rookie with Dallas.
"I had no idea how many points I had until the horn went off," Kidd said.
The Suns won their sixth straight and beat the Rockets for the 13th time in 18 games, enhancing their playoff chances and damaging the Rockets' hopes.
"This was a playoff atmosphere tonight," Kidd said. "Both teams are fighting for their lives. This is a big win for us on the road, heading into the playoffs. We know we can go anywhere and win."
Hakeem Olajuwon, playing in his second game since recovering from a blood disorder, led Houston with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Houston led 64-52 with 9:32 left in the third quarter, but couldn't hold the lead.
A basket by Kidd with 9:23 left in the fourth quarter completed a 23-6 run that gave the Suns a 75-70 lead.
"We went to a 1-3-1 halfcourt trap and that busted up their offense rhythm," Suns coach Scott Skiles said. "They started missing some shots and we got some quick points."
Houston scored seven straight points for a 77-75 lead with 7:37 to play, but Kidd took over, hitting six straight baskets, including a three-pointer, for an 88-83 lead with 2:27 to play.
"He's good, but not that good," Olajuwon said of Kidd. "He didn't miss."
Hawks 104, Pacers 93
Atlanta Jason Terry scored 28 points and Nazr Mohammed added 18 as Atlanta beat Indiana. Reggie Miller scored 24 points to lead the Pacers. Jalen Rose and Jermaine O'Neal each scored 16 points for Indiana, which has lost eight of its last nine road games. Toni Kukoc scored 10 points for Atlanta, which ended a four-game losing streak.
Wizards 116, Warriors 100
Washington Richard Hamilton scored a career-high 41 points to lead Washington past Golden State. Hamilton added career bests of nine rebounds and eight assists. He became the first Wizard to score 40 points in two games in a season since Juwan Howard in April 1996. Antawn Jamison scored 31 points for Golden State.
Bucks 104, Heat 96
Milwaukee Glenn Robinson scored 27 points and three reserves combined for 40 as Milwaukee outscored Miami 12-4 in the final 2:42 to seal the win. Sam Cassell and Lindsay Hunter each scored 17 points for the Bucks. Tim Hardaway scored 25 points for Miami. The Heat are 0-2 since center Alonzo Mourning, who was diagnosed with a kidney disease in October, returned to the lineup. Mourning had eight points and six rebounds in 19 minutes.
Spurs 106, Jazz 88
San Antonio Tim Duncan scored 29 points and Derek Anderson had 23 as San Antonio swept its season series with Utah and dealt the Jazz their third straight loss. San Antonio beat Utah for the 14th time in 16 games and improved the NBA's best record to 51-21. Karl Malone scored 24 points for the Jazz.
Celtics 106, Bulls 104
Chicago Antoine Walker had a triple-double, Paul Pierce scored a game-high 24 points and Boston won its fourth straight. Walker had 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his fourth triple-double of the season. Milt Palacio added a career-high 19 points for Boston (32-38), which moved into sole possession of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have lost 11 of 12.
Grizzlies 89, Knicks 68
Vancouver, British Columbia Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored 30 points as Vancouver snapped a nine-game losing streak. Mike Bibby had 16 points and eight assists for Vancouver. Bryant Reeves had 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Grizzlies had lost seven straight games to the Knicks and were 1-8 lifetime against New York entering the game.
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