HOUSTON -- Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder did not want to overstate the significance of this victory, but his postgame grin spoke volumes about what his team had accomplished.

Derrick Favors slammed home a game-winning dunk with 1.6 seconds remaining to complete a gritty, come-from-behind, 89-87 victory over the fading Houston Rockets on Wednesday night at Toyota Center.

Utah (35-36) slipped past Houston (35-37) and into eighth place in the Western Conference while also earning a 2-2 season series split. Favors, who finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds, received a pass from the driving Rodney Hood and provided the answer to a dunk by Rockets center Dwight Howard that had pulled Houston even with 22.3 seconds left.

"I think this whole process is good," Snyder said. "And that's exactly why whether it's one game or a number of games, just being in an environment like this one on the road or being in a hunt competitively puts your team in a situation that's new for us, for all of us. To the extent that we can be there whether we stay in eighth or drop out or whatever the case may be, I think it's a good opportunity for us to get better."

Gordon Hayward celebrated his 26th birthday by scoring 22 points, including seven free throws in the fourth quarter, to pace the Jazz. Shelvin Mack added 16 points and drilled a critical, game-tying 3-pointer with 56.3 seconds left.

Having struggled mightily on offense for most of the night, the Jazz found their stride in the fourth quarter and shot 53.3 percent from the floor.

"It was definitely big for us," Favors said of the late offensive execution. "Shelvin hit a big 3, Rod made big plays, Gordon made big plays. It was a relief for us because the first half we missed a lot of shots, turned the ball over a little bit. Second half we played well."

Rockets guard James Harden posted 26 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists and a career-high eight steals but missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. Trevor Ariza (12 points) was the only other starter to reach double figures as the Rockets collapsed offensively in the second half, shooting just 37.1 percent (13 of 35) from the field.

"Slow start for us. Slow start," Harden said. "That's all it was, a slow start. They got into a rhythm second half and we were slow."

Reserves Michael Beasley, Clint Capela and Corey Brewer scored 10 points apiece but combined for just nine points in the second half for Houston, which lost a third consecutive game to drop out of the playoff picture.

The Jazz trailed 47-29 late in the first half but forged ahead when Gordon sank two free throws for a 79-78 lead with 3:41 left to play.

Utah struggled throughout the second quarter, but the Rockets never fully took advantage. Houston took a 44-27 lead while the Jazz went 8:35 without a basket. However, the Jazz closed the half with three baskets, one each from Gordon and Favors plus a trey from reserve guard Raul Neto, to garner hope and remain within striking distance.

The Rockets followed suit with a 17-point third quarter, waiting until the 7:11 mark of the third period to record their first field goal, an Ariza baseline dunk that pushed Houston to a 52-45 lead. The Rockets stretched that advantage to 11 points but went cold again, extending their futility to 3-for-16 shooting before Brewer converted a wild runner through a foul and a corner 3-pointer with 61 seconds left.

After Harden converted a step-back jumper with 27.6 seconds left, the Rockets lugged a hard-fought, 66-60 lead into the fourth quarter. Unlike Utah, the Rockets' execution down the stretch was less than ideal.

"We didn't continue to do the things that we did in the first half that led to our success," Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "We were pressing, we were forcing the issue at times when we didn't need to."

NOTES: G Shelvin Mack made his 16th consecutive start since coming off the bench in his first appearance for Utah on Feb. 21 against Portland. He played exclusively as a reserve with Atlanta before coming to the Jazz via trade on Feb. 18. ... Rockets G James Harden has been hampered by a sprained left ankle but remained in the starting lineup. He has started each of the team's 72 games this season and is on pace to play in all 82 for the first time since the 2010-11 season. ... With F/C Donatas Motiejunas entrenched as a starter this month, the Rockets are benefiting from his passing savvy. Entering Wednesday, Houston is shooting a season-high 46.4 percent from the field this month while averaging a season-best 23.2 assists per game in March.