AROUND THE NBA Sunday's other games

Rockets 97, Hornets 85
HOUSTON -- Cuttino Mobley scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth period as Houston recovered from a 7-point third quarter.
Steve Francis had 12 of his 23 points in the 38-point final period. The third period matched the worst for the Rockets, tying a mark set on Nov. 15, 1991 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jamal Mashburn had 25 points for New Orleans, but The Hornets lost for the fourth straight time and seventh in their last eight games. Houston had lost a season-high three straight games.
The Hornets scored 12 straight points to open the second half, and New Orleans' 24-7 advantage in the third period made it 67-59 entering the fourth.
Lakers 104, Raptors 88
LOS ANGELES -- Shaquille O'Neal scored 35 points on 14-of-18 shooting, and Los Angeles got its second straight victory.The three-time champion Lakers still ended the year in unfamiliar territory with a losing record (13-19) for the first time since 1993. But equaling their longest winning streak of the season gave them hope of turning things around in the new year. They are off until Saturday, when they play at Phoenix.Kobe Bryant, playing with a slightly sprained right wrist, had 13 points and 12 assists one night after scoring 39 against the Nuggets. In that game, the Lakers shot a season-high 58 percent and they stayed close to that mark against Toronto by hitting 53 percent.Morris Peterson scored 18 points for Toronto, which lost its season-high sixth straight and 12th in 14 games.