NBA Game Summary - San Antonio at Houston

Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Dwight Howard shook off a slow start and carried the Houston Rockets over the San Antonio Spurs, 97-90, with a 23- point, 16-rebound effort on Tuesday.

The Rockets, despite leading scorer James Harden being sidelined with a thumb injury, saw Terrence Jones step up with 21 points and nine rebounds and Jeremy Lin chip in with 18 points and eight assists.

Houston had won the previous two meetings against the Spurs this season and took the season series for the first time since the 1996-97 campaign -- the season before Tim Duncan arrived in San Antonio.

San Antonio, meanwhile, has dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season after losing at Miami in a 2013 NBA Finals rematch on Sunday. Boris Diaw posted a double-double with a season-high 22 points and 11 boards, while Duncan added 12 points and 14 rebounds in the setback.