Australia's Jock Landale has enjoyed his best scoring night in a Houston jersey to help the Rockets beat Chicago and keep their NBA playoff hopes alive.
The Boomers centre recorded a double-double consisting of 17 points and 12 rebounds.
He also chipped in with five assists and two blocks in the 127-117 win over the Bulls on Friday (AEDT).
"It has been tiring but fun," Landale said following the win.
"It is always good to get an opportunity to get out there with the boys to make a push toward the Play-In Tournament.
"I think we have gained some good traction. That's where my mind has been; having a lot of fun."
Landale made six of his 10 field-goal attempts, plus all five free throws, as the hosts' impressive late-season run continued with a seventh straight success.
"It was great," Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said of Landale's performance.
"We acknowledged him in the locker room ... He was part of the unit that really got us going, from an energy standpoint - meeting guys at the rim, making the right plays in there, and deterring shots, even if he didn't block it."
Jalen Green scored 26 points and Dillon Brooks had 23 before he was ejected from the game after a scuffle with DeMar DeRozan.
Houston (34-35) have gone 9-1 in March and are now just two and a half games behind Golden State (36-32) for the final Play-In spot in the Western Conference.
The Rockets' streak is their longest since 2021.
Elsewhere, Damian Lillard had 30 points and 12 assists and Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a hamstring injury with 21 points in the Milwaukee Bucks' 115-108 victory over Brooklyn.
There were also wins for Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Orlando and Washington.
With AP.
