(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-03-10 09:22

NEW YORK - The sizzling Houston Rockets won their 18th successive game to match the NBA's fourth-longest winning streak by beating the New Orleans Hornets 106-96 on Saturday.

Houston Rockets' Tracy McGrady (1) goes to the basket against New Orleans Hornets' Julian Wright, right, during the second half of a basketball game Saturday, March 8, 2008, in Houston. The Rockets won, 106-96, McGrady scored 41 points in the game. [Agencies]

Houston now have the league's longest winning run since the Los Angeles Lakers won 19 games in a row in the 1999 season.

The Rockets are also only the seventh team to win more than 18 games in a row. Five of the previous six went on to win NBA championship.

Tracy McGrady led the Rockets with 41 points to help Houston to their ninth double-digits win.

McGrady said the winning streak was meaningless if the club failed to follow it up with post-season success.

"It's all about the playoffs with us," McGrady, who is winless in six career playoff series, told reporters.

"The streak is great. We'll make a little history. But it really doesn't mean anything."

The Rockets are now 6-0 since Yao Ming's foot injury ended his season. Houston made a season-high 14 3-pointers and McGrady was 17-for-27.

"Tracy McGrady was fantastic," said New Orleans coach Byron Scott. "Everything we tried to do against him didn't work."

The Rockets trailed 23-20 after one quarter but took control in the second and fended off several Hornets comeback attempts in the second half.

Chris Paul had 37 points and 11 assists for the Hornets, who lost for just the second time in seven games.

The 1969-70 New York Knicks, 1981-82 Boston Celtics and 1995-96 Chicago Bulls all won 18 in a row. The NBA record for consecutive wins is held by the 1971-72 Lakers, who won 33 games in a row.