Yao Ming scored a season-high 38 points and collected 10 rebounds to help Houston rally from 17 points down to upend the Indiana Pacers, 103-99, at the Toyota Center.

Tracy McGrady left the game early in the third quarter with back pain and did not return. He finished with 15 points.

Juwan Howard netted 16 points while Keith Bogans tallied 14 points and eight rebounds for the Rockets, who have won four in a row.

Peja Stojakovic poured in 29 points and gathered nine boards and Stephen Jackson had 23 points for Indiana, which has lost three of its last four overall.

The Pacers led 60-51 at halftime and used a 12-2 spurt in the latter stages of the third quarter, capped by David Harrison's free throw with four minutes remaining, to extend its advantage to 85-69.

The Rockets pulled within nine, 88-79, entering the final frame.

Then, after Jackson's jumper made it 91-83 with 9:41 left in the contest, Houston rattled off six straight points to pull within two.

The Rockets eventually assumed the lead at 94-93 with 3:53 remaining on a Stromile Swift dunk, and the game see-sawed back and forth from there.

Bogans reclaimed the lead for the Rockets with 25 ticks on the clock via a transition layup.

Jackson got the ball behind the arc on the other end but just missed. Bogans got the rebound, was fouled, and went 1-of-2 from the line to make it 101-99 with 12 seconds left.

Anthony Johnson had a chance to tie, but his fadeaway jumper clanked off the backboard and fell to Bogans, who hit two from the stripe to seal the win.

(CRI English?March 9, 2006)