LeBron tries to follow up his 61-point night vs. Houston

(SportsNetwork.com) - LeBron James set a career-high in points last time out with 61 and broke at least four Miami Heat franchise records in the process.

What can he possibly do to top that Tuesday night when his Heat visit the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center?

James' massive game on Monday night led the Heat to a 124-107 home drubbing of the Charlotte Bobcats, the eighth consecutive victory for the two-time defending NBA champs.

James shot a scorching 22-of-33 from the floor and added seven rebounds and five assists while snapping Glen Rice's franchise-record of 56 points set in April of 1995.

James set a number of other franchise records, including field goals in a game (22), most points in a quarter (25 in the third) and most points in a second half (37). It was his 10th career 50-point game.

"It felt like I had a golf ball throwing it into the ocean," James said.

James drained eight 3-pointers. Miami was up six at the half, then the two- time reigning MVP drained all five of his 3-point tries while scoring 25 points in the third, the same amount as Charlotte's entire team.

"I was able to get it going once again in the third quarter and I knew it would be one of those nights," James stated.

Chris Bosh chipped in with 15 points and seven boards, as the Heat shot a red- hot 55.4 percent from the floor, including 16-of-28 from long distance.

Dwyane Wade rested on Monday night, but clearly, the Heat didn't need him.

The Heat embark on a three-game road trip starting Tuesday night, then it's a nationally-televised stop in San Antonio on Thursday and a matinee in Chicago on Sunday.

With all due respect to the Bobcats, who are actually fifth in the league in opponents' scoring and seventh in opponents' field-goal percentage, but the Rockets are one of the league's elite teams now.

They've won 11 of their last 13 and inched within a half-game of the Portland Trail Blazers for the third seed in the Western Conference.

Kevin McHale was named the conference's Coach of the Month for February, where the Rockets went 8-2, and guard James Harden was named the conference Player of the Week on Monday.

Houston returned home after a 3-2 road trip on Saturday with a 118-110 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Terrence Jones had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who held on for the victory, despite leading by 25 in the first half.

Harden scored 12 of his 20 points in the first quarter, when the Rockets shot 70.8 percent for a 41-20 lead. He had 12 assists. while Patrick Beverley added 19 points and Dwight Howard had 17, but just two in the second half.

"I didn't like the way we came out in the second half," Howard said. "I thought we should have really kept our foot on the gas and buried them."

The Heat have won seven straight against the Rockets, including three in a row in Houston.