Argentina's Luis Scola scored a career-high 44 points to power the Houston Rockets past New Jersey 116-108 on Saturday, keeping the Nets on pace to have the worst season in NBA history.

A fourth consecutive loss dropped New Jersey to 7-59, leaving the Nets 16 games in which to win three to avoid matching the all-time futility mark in NBA history, the 9-73 campaign of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1972-1973.

The Nets led 55-54 at halftime and kept the game close into the fourth quarter but could not shut down the Rockets, who at 33-31 are 10th in the Western Conference, five games behind Portland and the last playoff spot.

Scola grabbed 12 rebounds and shot 20-for-25 from the field for the highest-scoring night for any Houston player this season. Kevin Martin added 20 points and Aaron Brooks had 18 points and seven assists for Houston.

Courtney Lee led the Nets with 24 points while Brook Lopez added 24 points and 10 rebounds for New Jersey, who lost the final four games of their five-game road trip.