Los Angeles  - In the end, Ron Artest made the big plays at both ends, to rescue the Houston Rockets.

Artest hit the go-ahead jumper in the closing seconds, and then blocked Vladimir Radmanovic's potential game-tying three-pointer with 4.9 ticks left, helping the visiting Rockets escape the Charlotte Bobcats, 91-86 on Friday night.

"We're very fortunate to get that win," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "We had it in control and we made three straight mistakes. They had a chance to win it."

China's Yao Ming scored a game-high 23 points, and Argentine Luis Scola finished with 15 for the Rockets (43-24) who moved 1.5 games behind idle second place San Antonio in the Western Conference playoff race with a Texas-size showdown on Saturday night.

Yao's three-pointer - the second of his career and first in six seasons - along with a 15-footer, put the Rockets ahead, 85-77. But they nearly blew the game.

Raja Bell's long jumper, and Boris Diaw's layup after Aaron Brooks coughed up the ball in the back court, pulled Charlotte within 85-84.

Yao committed an offensive foul, and blocked Emeka Okafor's shot at the other end. But Diaw hit a 10-footer, giving the Bobcats an 86- 85 edge with 35 seconds to go.

Artest, then, took a pass from Shane Battier on a broken play, and drilled a 20-foot jumper with 22 seconds left as the Rockets regained the lead, 87-86.

"I wanted the ball," said Artest, who finished with 10 points. "I always want the ball at the end."

Bell missed a jumper with 10 ticks left, and Brooks hit two free throws to make it a three-point game, setting the stage for Artest's defensive gem.

Looking to force overtime, the Bobcats got the ball to long- distance sharpshooter Radmanovich following a timeout. Artest, however, blocked the shot, and raced down court for the game- clinching layup with 1.8 ticks remaining.

"He had to bring the ball up, but he wasn't off the ground fast enough," Artest said. "So I just waited and swiped it back down."

Gerald Wallace scored 17 points, and Bell added 16 for the Bobcats (28-37) who suffered a blow in their drive to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. (dpa)