Rockets 104, Spurs 98: Dwight Howard collected 20 points and 17 rebounds to help host Houston clinch the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Chandler Parsons returned from a one-game layoff to score 21 points and Terrence Jones added 20 for the Rockets, who will take on Portland in a first-round series starting this weekend. James Harden scored 16 points on 4-of-16 shooting while handing out a game-high seven assists for Houston, which committed a season-low six turnovers.

Marco Belinelli led seven Spurs in double figures with 17 points. Tim Duncan chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds for San Antonio, which has already clinched the best record in the NBA but remains a win shy of matching the franchise record of 63.

Parson's basket late in the third put Houston up 76-62 but Manu Ginobili hit a jumper seconds later to spark a 13-0 surge that carried into the fourth. San Antonio kept charging and grabbed its first lead since it was 9-8 on Belinelli's pullup with 8:21 to go.

Belinelli buried a 3-pointer with 4:50 remaining to give the Spurs a 90-87 lead before Howard and Harden keyed a quick 8-0 spurt. Jeff Ayres (12 points) scored to get San Antonio within four with just over a minute left before Harden nailed a jumper and Parsons made two free throws for an eight-point bulge in the final minute.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Howard had 12 points and 11 rebounds by halftime to help Houston grab a 50-43 lead. ... The Rockets won all four meetings this season. ... Houston had a 50-43 edge on the glass and a 60-42 advantage in points in the paint.