Los Angeles  - The San Antonio Spurs paid too much attention to Yao Ming down the stretch, and it cost them first place.   Luis Scola had 19 points, 17 rebounds and the game-winning layup off a pass from Yao with 11.2 seconds left, as the Houston Rockets replaced the Spurs atop the Southwest Division, with a gritty 87-85 come-from behind road victory on Sunday.

   "I just cut down the lane," said Scola, who converted both of Yao's on-the-money passes in the final half minute. "I was wide open both times."

   Ron Artest scored 24 points, while Yao finished with 13, eight rebounds and two huge assists as Houston (47-25) returned atop the highly-competitive division for the first time since Christmas following its fourth straight victory.

   "With everything we've been through, a lot of people counted us out," said Artest, whose club improved to 16-4 since losing All-Star Tracy McGrady to a season-ending knee surgery last month. "But we got to feel good."

   Tim Duncan netted 23 points for San Antonio (46-24) which dropped one-half game behind Houston after sitting atop the division since January 6. Frenchman Tony Parker had 22 points with 12 assists, and Ime Udoka scored a season-best 16 off the bench.

   "It's a huge loss, especially with the race as close as it is," said Duncan, who went scoreless in the final quarter. "We came in here knowing the importance of this game. Just wish it could have bounced the other way."

   Houston sliced a seven-point lead to one with 46 seconds remaining when Yao turned playmaker. Held to only eight shots all game, the 7-foot-6 (2.29-metre) Chinese superstar centre, twice spotted Scola for wide-open layups.

   His first assist to the Argentine power forward with 29 seconds left put the Rockets ahead, 84-83. Parker, however, gave the Spurs back the lead, knifing through Artest and Yao for an easy layup.

   The Rockets responded. Yao got the ball behind the free throw line and looked to shoot a 20-footer. When Duncan went out to help Kurt Thomas, Yao zipped another pass to Scola for another uncontested layup, giving the visitors the lead for good, 86-85.

   "I saw him at the last second," Yao said. "I was going to shoot. The ball was above my head when I found him."

   "When I saw the (double) team going with him, I knew I had to go to the basket because it is a pass or offensive rebound," Scola said. "I wasn't expecting Yao to throw it. Fortunately, he passed it."

   Parker drove the lane, but unable to shake Kyle Lowry, bounced a short jumper off the rim with 2.4 seconds left. Scola grabbed the rebound and hit the second of two free throws with three-tenths of a second left, making it 87-85.

   With a shot at the win, Spurs' sharpshooter Matt Bonner launched a three-pointer out of a timeout, that banged off rim at the final buzzer.

   Elsewhere:

   Cleveland Cavaliers 96, New Jersey Nets 88 LeBron James had 30 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and the league-best Cavaliers improved to 57-13 with their ninth straight win.

   Vince Carter had 25 points and nine rebounds for host New Jersey (30-40) which dropped two games behind idle eighth place Chicago for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth

   New Orleans Hornets 99, Golden State Warriors 89 Chris Paul collected 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and David West added 23 points as the hosts Hornets (44-25) rolled to their third straight victory.

   Miami Heat 101, Detroit Pistons 96 Dwyane Wade scored 39 points, blocked two shots in the final half minute, and Udonis Haslem hit the go-ahead jumper with 6.3 seconds left, as the visiting Heat stopped a three-game slide.

   Rodney Stuckey scored 24 points, Antonio McDyess had 16 points with 14 rebounds for injury-depleted Detroit (34-35) which holds down the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

   Toronto Raptors 100, LA Clippers 76 Chris Bosh had 16 points with 13 rebounds, Shawn Marion contributed 14 points with 13 boards and the Raptors (25-45) routed the visiting Clippers (17-53) in a match-up of bottom-feeders.

   Oklahoma City Thunder 97, Minnesota Timberwolves 90 Kevin Durant scored 30 points, and the Thunder built a 31-point third-quarter cushion before holding off a late charge by the host T-Wolves.

   Philadelphia 76ers 112, Sacramento Kings 100 Andre Iguodala scored 27 points, Thaddeus Young had 22 and the 76ers ran out to a 26-point halftime advantage en route to the easy road win over the league-worst Kings (15-55).