NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets have the dubious distinction of leading the NBA with six losses when leading by double digits at some point.

Another defeat seemed possible but then forward Joe Johnson delivered a vintage performance down the stretch.

Johnson scored 15 of his 22 points during the fourth quarter and Brooklyn held on for a 110-105 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.

"It felt great," Johnson said. "I thought throughout the game we played pretty good basketball. We got off to a great start which is good for us because we're pretty much a young team and confidence is key for us. We got off to a great start and we just had to maintain. We knew there were going to make a run. We executed offensively and got stops."

Johnson matched his season-high in points while shooting 9-of-15 from the floor in 43 minutes. He also added five rebounds and eight of Brooklyn's season-best 27 assists on a night when it held a 16-point lead midway through the third.

"He was vintage, take me back to 2007," forward Thaddeus Young said. "That was when I first entered the league. He just took them back today. He did a really good job of facilitating and making baskets for us."

Johnson's big quarter countered the spark provided by former Net Marcus Thornton. The reserve forward scored Houston's first 17 points in the fourth and led the Rockets with a season-high 32 on a night while guard Corey Brewer added 22 after forward Trevor Ariza exited with a back injury early in the game's opening minutes.

Thornton produced the most points off the bench in the NBA this year. The outburst came on a night when star guard James Harden was held to 10 on 2-of-9 shooting and committed seven of Houston's season-high 24 turnovers.

"Poor decision-making, especially on my end," Harden said.

Center Brook Lopez led the Nets with 24 points while blocking five shots. Young added 20 and 12 for his 10th double-double and ninth in his last 12 games but there was little doubt who helped Brooklyn improve the Eastern Conference's second-worst record to 6-15.

"That's what Joe does," Lopez said. "We know we can go to him a ton in crunch time and he's going to deliver."

Delivering included five straight points after the Rockets were within 84-82 early in the fourth. It also included when Johnson glided past Harden and executed a spinning floater with 2:59 remaining, giving the Nets a 101-94 lead after Harden hit a 3-pointer on the previous possession.

Johnson's impressive looking hoop did not quite finish matters. The Rockets were within 103-99 before Harden found center Dwight Howard for a cutting layup and appeared poised to get even closer when Lopez was called for an offensive foul with 2:03 remaining.

Houston could not capitalize as Thornton missed a 3-point attempt near the Nets next bench. Brooklyn scored on its next two possessions as guard Bojan Bogadanovic converted a layup with 1:29 left and Johnson drove past Brewer for a basket and foul shot 28 seconds later.

"Joe Johnson was outstanding in the fourth quarter and down the stretch, he carried us home," Brooklyn coach Lionel Hollins said.

The outcome was still in doubt and Houston crept closer when Thornton stole the ball from Johnson. Harden drove to the hoop but after getting fouled by guard Markel Brown he spilt a pair at the line with 35.7 seconds left.

On the next possession, Bogdanovic missed a corner 3-pointer as the shot clock expired but Lopez grabbed the rebound and guard Jarrett Jack knocked down two free throws with eight seconds left. The game ended when Harden misfired badly on a 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left.

"We should have come in with better effort," Howard said. "We didn't and paid the price for it."

NOTES: The Nets did not release an official timetable for G Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's return from right ankle surgery. However, when mentioning how hard it would be for the rookie to catch up upon returning, coach Lionel Hollins hinted Hollis-Jefferson would be back in 10 weeks. ... Hollis-Jefferson will have his surgery performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. O'Malley did the foot operations on Brooklyn C Brook Lopez and Oklahoma City F Kevin Durant. ... Houston C Dwight Howard turned 30 Tuesday and played on his birthday for the fifth time in his career. ... Houston F Trevor Ariza exited with a bruised back on a drive to the hoop early in the first quarter.