Milwaukee 84, Houston 93

Kevin Martin went off for 36 points and Luis Scola added 19 points and 14 rebounds as the Houston Rockets pulled away in the second half en route to a 93-84 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

Jordan Hill chipped in 10 points and 10 boards off the bench for the Rockets, who built up a 53-44 advantage on the glass in putting together back-to-back wins for the first time this month.

The Bucks forced Houston to play at their pace in the first half, slowing things down into a defensive battle that sent the game into the half knotted at 39-39. One of the highest scoring teams in the league, the Rockets would not be held down long, as they broke out for 35 points in the third quarter. Martin and Scola scored 11 points apiece in the frame to give Houston a 74-66 edge heading into the final 12 minutes.

Milwaukee chipped it down to 80-75 when John Salmons hit a jumper with 5:41 left but the Rockets held them off, getting four straight points from Hill and a jumper from Martin to push it back to double digits.

Corey Maggette scored 25 points for the Bucks, who dropped their third straight.

• Houston will play their next game at home against New York. The Rockets have a W/L % of .444 after a win and .458 after a loss.
• Milwaukee will play their next game at home against Washington. The Bucks have a W/L % of .357 after a win and .375 after a loss.