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Tracy McGrady scored 19 points and the Rockets ran their winning streak to 19 games - the third longest in league history - with a 91-73 blowout over the cold-shooting New Jersey Nets on Monday night.

 "It's a game we had to get if we wanted to keep the streak going," Rockets head coach Rick Adelman said. "Now we'll go on the road to see if we can keep it going."

   The Rockets matched the 1999-2000 LA Lakers' victory streak and a win at Atlanta on Thursday night would tie the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks for second place with 20 consecutive victories. However, it's a long way from the all-time mark of 33 set by the 1971-72 Lakers.

 "It's fantastic to have your team mentioned with some of the best teams and some of the best players to ever have played the game," Rockets guard Rafer Alston. "It says a lot about our ballclub."

   Alston and Argentine rookie Luis Scola tallied 12 points apiece while Shane Battier added nine on three triples for the Rockets (43-20) who notched their 13th consecutive victory at Toyota Center.

 The Rockets remarkable run - the last seven wins without Chinese superstar Yao Ming, who underwent season-ending foot surgery for a stress fracture last week - has vaulted them one game behind defending NBA champion San Antonio and the idle Lakers atop the Western Conference standings.

 "We've become a habitual team from the standpoint that we come to work every day and prepare the same way," Battier said. "We stay with the game-plan and everyone executes it."

   Though the Rockets romped to their 10th consecutive double digit victory by turning in their best defensive effort of season, holding the Nets to 30.4 per cent (24-of-79) shooting.

 "We didn't shoot the ball particularly well tonight," McGrady said. "But defence wins ballgames and that's what we're great at."

   McGrady scored just six points, but the Rockets held a commanding 48-28 halftime cushion, limiting the Nets to 21 per cent field goal shooting.

 McGrady had 13 points in the third quarter and the lead swelled to 70-45 before he sat out the final frame of the Rockets' laugher.

 Vince Carter scored 13 points and Richard Jefferson added 12 for the Nets (26-38) who have dropped six in a row.

 Elsewhere:    Boston Celtics 100, Philadelphia 76ers 86    Kevin Garnett had 26 points with 12 rebounds, carrying the league-best Celtics (50-12) to their ninth straight victory, and 50th of the season for the first time in 16 years.

 Andre Miller scored 22 points for the Sixers (30-34) who had won their previous four games overall and eight straight at home.

 San Antonio Spurs 107, Denver Nuggets 103    Tim Duncan had 23 points, 18 rebounds and the game-breaking free throws with 1:31 left as the Spurs snapped a two-game slide to move into a tie with the Lakers atop the Western Conference standings.

 Frenchman Tony Parker scored 16 points while Argentine Manu Ginobili added 13 with a career-high 14 assists for the Spurs (44-19) who had their season-high 11-game winning streak stopped in Denver on Friday night.

 Allen Iverson led Denver (37-26) with 28 points despite a fracture on the tip of right ring finger, while JR Smith had 22.

 Cleveland Cavaliers 88, Portland Trail Blazers 80    LeBron James collected his seventh triple-double of season with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to rally the Cavaliers.

 LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the visiting Trail Blazers (33-31) who led by 13 in the first-half before having their two-game winning streak snapped.

 Orlando Magic 123, Atlanta Hawks 112    Dwight Howard had 26 points with 16 rebounds and Turkey's Hedo Turkoglu had the second triple-double of his career, helping the Magic clip the Hawks.

 Turkoglu had 23 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds while Rashard Lewis scored 22 in Orlando's highest scoring game of the season.

 Joe Johnson scored 27 points and Mike Bibby had 23 for the Hawks (26-37) who trailed 74-53 at halftime.

 Dallas Mavericks 108, New York Knicks 79    German wunderkind Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry scored 18 points apiece before sitting out the final quarter in the Mavericks' eighth consecutive home court victory over the Knicks.

 Zach Randolph had 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks' (18-46) who trailed by 22 at halftime en route to their seventh consecutive loss.

 LA Clippers 99, Miami Heat 98    Cuttino Mobley scored 29 points, including two free throws with 2.6 seconds left, lifting the visiting Clippers over the Dwyane Wade-less Heat.

 Ricky Davis scored 27 points for league-worst Miami (11-51) which lost its sixth in a row.  Earlier in the day, the Heat announced Wade - its best player - would miss the remainder of the season to receive a form of shock treatment on his surgically repaired sore left knee.