Miles Bridges had another strong outing with 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Gordon Hayward added 19 points for the Hornets, who opened the fourth quarter on a 19-1 run to blow open a tight game.
Victor Oladipo had 21 points to lead the Rockets, who lost for only the third time in 10 games.
Houston played without three of its top four scorers — John Wall, Eric Gordon and Christian Wood. Gordon and Wall were given a night of rest, while Wood missed his second straight game with a sprained right ankle. Together, the trio is accounting for more than 59 points per game.