HOUSTON -- With point guard Tony Parker back in the starting lineup for a second consecutive game providing the Spurs the experience and stability they lacked during his three-game injury hiatus, it stood to reason that San Antonio would showcase the precision it failed to muster consistently while Parker was sidelined.

Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili delivered timely scoring bursts that supported a first-quarter run to the lead and subsequently enabled the San Antonio Spurs to claim a 106-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night at Toyota Center.

San Antonio (7-3) relied on balanced scoring to subdue the Rockets (5-4) and earn a split of a home-and-home set interrupted by the Spurs' win over the Pistons on Friday night. Forward LaMarcus Aldridge posted a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) and center Pau Gasol chipped in 15 points, seven boards and six assists.

But the Spurs seized control early behind Parker and his usual wizardry and looked every bit like the finely tuned offense they had unleashed only occasionally.

"He's a great point guard," said Leonard, who finished with team highs in points (20) and steals (three). "Very smart, knows where guys' spots are on the floor. He's been here before and he knows what Pop (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) expects. If one of us gets out of line or is doing well he tells us. He makes us better."

Said Popovich of Parker: "He gets us organized. He hasn't been with us much so far this season so having him for the stretch he played is a stability factor out on the perimeter. That was a big help."

Ginobili finished with 12 points off the bench, eight during one crucial stretch after Houston sliced a 15-point deficit to 69-63 with four consecutive 3-pointers. Ginobili responded with two 3s and a layup for an 82-70 lead entering the fourth.

James Harden paced the Rockets with a second consecutive triple-double (25 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists) while Eric Gordon scored a game-high 27 points, 13 in the fourth quarter. Gordon matched his career high with seven 3-pointers.

Yet while Trevor Ariza added 15 points and Clint Capela a double-double (12 points with 10 boards), Harden and Ryan Anderson shot a combined 3 of 16 on 3s. The Rockets inefficient perimeter shooting created the deficit they couldn't erase.

"We had an opportunity with a little over a minute to go cutting a 16-point deficit to a four-point deficit and we just didn't make enough shots," Harden said.

Houston trailed 90-74 when Parker converted a driving floater with 8:55 left. Gordon then delivered his hail of 3s and the Rockets thrice cut the margin to four points without ever scaling the hump. Leonard helped keep them at bay with six consecutive points following a Gordon 3 that pulled the Rockets to within 94-87.

Like Ginobili late in the third quarter, Leonard carried the Spurs with a burst of scoring midway through the first, keying an 18-4 run with four driving layups that left the Rockets reeling. When Ginobili followed with a conversion off the glass the Spurs led 24-15 and maintained that working margin until the Rockets rallied again.

After Capela slammed home a pair of alley-oop passes from Harden, Houston trailed 41-40 with 2:46 left in the half. But the Spurs added an 8-0 run, getting five points from Gasol. Whenever the Rockets rallied, San Antonio fashioned an answer.

"They made a couple tough shots too at the end," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "That's what they do. That's why they're the Spurs."

NOTES: Rockets G Patrick Beverley practiced with the team on Friday and declared that he will return to action sometime next week. Beverley has been sidelined since the preseason following left knee surgery. He did not commit to a specific game for the return next week, when the Rockets host the 76ers, Trail Blazers and Jazz while also paying a visit to Oklahoma City. ... With both members of the starting backcourt, Danny Green and Tony Parker, available for the first time, the Spurs trotted out the lineup they anticipated when the roster was set with Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol starting in the frontcourt. ... Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni remains in search of the desired pace in the fourth quarter, a period in which Houston was shooting 39.3 percent and averaging 21.6 points. Those numbers represent lows for the Rockets.