HOUSTON, April 3 (UPI) -- The Houston Rockets used a 35-point outburst from Kevin Martin Sunday to rally from a double-digit deficit to best the Atlanta Hawks 114-109.
Chuck Hayes provided another 19 points to go with12 rebounds for the Rockets, who won their second straight. Houston is in ninth in the Western Conference, three games out of a post-season berth.
Atlanta, sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, got 25 points from Joe Johnson and 21 points from Josh Smith, who also had 11 rebounds and seven assists.
The Hawks shot 58 percent in the first half when it led by as many as 14 points, and still led 72-61 in the third quarter before fading. The Rockets used 8-0 and 6-0 spurts to pull into a 77-77 tie, and scored five points in the final 40.7 seconds of the third period to go ahead 86-81 edge into the fourth.
The Hawks kept it close but couldn't regain the lead after that Houston push.
