Four players scored in double figures for Houston, which shot 42.5%.

The Bucks broke the game open late in the third quarter, when they scored 14 straight points to take an 87-65 lead. They led by comfortable margins throughout the fourth quarter.

The Bucks (25-29) will play their final game before the all-star break Wednesday at the Bradley Center against the Indiana Pacers.

Coach Scott Skiles gave all 12 of his players in uniform a run against the Rockets, including guard Eddie Gill, who was signed earlier in the day to a 10-day contract. He became the second new player added to the Bucks' roster in the last five days. Milwaukee acquired guard Keith Bogans in a trade with Orlando on Thursday.

Now it's a matter of getting the two players acclimated to the system as the Bucks reconfigure their rotation after three starters were lost to injuries.

"That can be a little bit (difficult)," Skiles said. "Just from watching Keith already and Eddie, they pick up things quickly. I'm not real worried about it. It's more so just getting on the court and playing with your guys and that kind of thing."

With the Bucks playing only 11 games this month, it normally would have been an ideal time to work with the new players in practice. But with their recent rash of injuries, the Bucks are going to have to cut back on practice time.

"We had penciled in that this was going to be the time of year when we could actually get some practices in and some rest and that type of thing," Skiles said. "But we're going to have to back off some on practice, obviously, because we can't afford other guys going down.

"So for those two guys it becomes just like if we had made a trade. When new guys come onto your team it becomes kind of training camp on the fly, and we have to have guys pick up things as quickly as they can. And then just hope when they do get into a game, they just play their game, whatever their game is. Normally when guys do that, they end up OK."

Sessions and Jefferson scored nine points each to lead the Bucks to a 32-23 lead after one quarter. Villanueva sank a pair of three-pointers and scored Milwaukee's first eight points as Milwaukee jumped out to an early 14-8 lead. Skiles wasted no time in getting Bogans into the game, and he scored four points in the final 7 minutes of the quarter.

A layup and two free throws by Bogans helped the Bucks extend their lead to 40-27 early in the second quarter. A layup by Houston center Yao Ming - his first points of the game - cut the Bucks' lead to 40-32 with 8:28 left. Bell was stuck on automatic for the Bucks - making four jumpers and a three-pointer - but Houston hurt the Bucks with 4 three-pointers and tied the score at 53-53 with 3:18 left. Shooting 57.1%, the Bucks led at halftime, 64-58.

Bell led the Bucks with 15 points. Forward Luis Scola had 14 for Houston. Yao, averaging 20.0 points per game, was limited to 11 minutes because of foul trouble and scored five points.

"One of the things you have to try and do to him is meet him early and not let him go down to the box," Skiles said. "Make him move more than he wants to and - like you try to do with Shaq - hope by the end of the game, you've put some wear and tear on him."

Jefferson hit a jumper and three-pointer early in the third quarter as Milwaukee extended its lead to 73-60. A frustrated Yao picked up his fourth foul midway through the quarter but stayed in the game to witness the Bucks' 14-0 spurt - including a pair of three-point baskets by Villanueva - that put Milwaukee ahead by 22. The Bucks led after three quarters, 98-76.

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