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Rockets aim for fourth consecutive win

Mar 20, 2007 - 3:30 PM Indiana (30-35) at Houston (42-25) 9:30 pm EDT

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- The Houston Rockets aim for their seventh win in eight games when they host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.

Houston has closed within 1 1/2 games of Utah (43-23) for fourth place and homecourt advantage in a possible first-round Western Conference playoff matchup.

"We need to keep making a run at that spot in the West," Rockets guard Rafer Alston said. "We are going to play as hard as we can and keep matching other team's intensity, energy and effort."

The Rockets picked up their third consecutive win on Sunday, a 124-74 triumph against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The points were a season high for Houston and a season low for Philadelphia. The Rockets outscored the 76ers, 54-8, in the paint and fell just short of the largest win in franchise history, a 139-87 rout of New Jersey on October 18, 1978.

The Pacers snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 113-90 victory over Atlanta on Saturday.

Despite the skid, Indiana remains in a tie for the last two playoff spots with New Jersey (31-36), one-half game ahead of Orlando (31-37) and New York (30-36).

"We've been talking about making the playoffs and getting a win was certainly part of that equation," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We're still right there. The schedule is difficult, but we're going to have to earn our way in."

Tuesday's contest marks the start of a five-game road trip for Indiana, which has not fared well this season away from Conseco Fieldhouse, going just 11-21.

Houston has won six of its last seven games against Indiana.