HOUSTON -- After completing seven games without experiencing the sweet taste of victory even once, the Nets could only cite sheer desperation as the force behind their third-quarter rally from a double-digit deficit and their steely resolve down the stretch of the fourth.

Brooklyn swingman Bojan Bogdanovic and point guard Shane Larkin combined for 37 points and 17 rebounds off the bench, and the Brooklyn Nets recorded their first triumph of the season, shocking the Houston Rockets 106-98 on Wednesday night at Toyota Center.

Brooklyn (1-7) parlayed a dominant performance on the offensive glass and several timely perimeter jumpers in the fourth quarter into their first road win against Houston (4-4) in nine games. Bogdanovic finished with a team-high 22 points, including a dagger 3-pointer with 1:37 remaining that lifted the Nets to a 102-96 lead.

"We really need this win," Bogdanovic said. "Just because of that we got more comfortable to play to enjoy the game."

Larkin added 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting, and his flurry of scoring bridging the third and fourth pushed Brooklyn back into contention after the Rockets extended to an 11-point lead with 3:15 left in the third.

Brooklyn hit 8 of 17 from behind the arc and enjoyed a 60-45 edge on the boards, turning 20 offensive rebounds into 33 second-chance points.

"Their offensive rebounding killed us," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "We had too much penetration drawing our big guys over. They're getting up on the board and they were coming back and tipping it, getting it. (Nets center Brook) Lopez was getting it."

Lopez finished with five offensive rebounds and a team-high 12 total rebounds. Nets forward Thomas Robinson added four offensive boards.

Rockets guard James Harden had 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists but shot 3 of 12 in the second half. Swingman Marcus Thornton added 21 points and seven assists while Houston center Dwight Howard posted a double-double of 20 points and 17 rebounds with five blocks.

For all the spacing the Rockets gain by starting Thornton in the frontcourt, their vulnerability on the glass has proved troublesome. Brooklyn exposed the Rockets throughout, turning eight offensive boards in the first into 11 second-chance points and a foreboding trend.

Harden powered Houston to a 28-22 lead at the close of the period with 12 points and three assists, but the Rockets bench proved ineffective and Lopez sparked a Nets rally with 10 consecutive points to draw the Nets to within 32-30. His burst ignited his teammates, with Brooklyn surging ahead by as many as six points while Houston missed all four of its 3-pointers in the second quarter. The Nets kept pounding the Rockets on the glass, reaching intermission with 14 offensive boards and 21 second-chance points. With two transition baskets from Bogdanovic to close the frame, the Nets took a 55-49 lead into the break.

"That's something they do so well," Lopez said of the Rockets playing small. "We knew Dwight is huge on the help side (of the defense) -- he's always going to go -- so we had to try and do our part and get the offensive rebound when he tried to help."

The Rockets again needed their starters to restore order in the third, with Harden, Howard and Thornton powering an early push out of the break before reserve guard Patrick Beverley hit a 3 that pushed the lead to 79-68. But once again the Nets had an answer, and this time their opponent wilted as the Rockets' four-game winning streak met its end.

"It wasn't a good game for us offensively and defensively," Harden said. "We just gave up too many middle drives, mistakes and offensive rebounds."

NOTES: Rockets G Patrick Beverley was arrested in the Houston suburb of Pearland and later released on Wednesday after paying a fine for an open warrant for a toll system violation. Beverley returned to action against the Nets after missing two games with a concussion. ... Nets rookie G Rondae Hollis-Jefferson got the first crack at defending Rockets All-NBA G James Harden, a weighty assignment coming in just his third start. Hollis-Jefferson entered Wednesday with a plus/minus of plus-15, seventh-best among rookies with a minimum of 100 minutes played. ... Rockets coach Kevin McHale maintained his starting lineup despite the return of F Terrence Jones (lacerated right eyelid), with G/F Marcus Thornton and F Trevor Ariza flanking C Dwight Howard. ... After hitting 6 of 17 field goals Wednesday, Nets C Brook Lopez (2,958) moved past Nets G John Williamson (1973-77, '78-80) for third in franchise history for field goals made. Williamson had 2,957.