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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Ben DuBose

Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. posts career night in ninth straight loss

The losing streak for the young Houston Rockets (10-32) is at a season-high nine games — and 14 of their last 15, overall — after Friday’s 139-114 loss at Sacramento (box score). The Kings (23-18) have now won three straight and six of their last nine games.

Kevin Porter Jr., Houston’s usual starting point guard, didn’t play due to a left foot contusion suffered in Wednesday’s game in Sacramento, which was the first of two straight between the teams.

Domantas Sabonis responded to Alperen Sengun’s triple-double two nights earlier with one of his own, registering 19 points, 16 assists, and 15 rebounds. Harrison Barnes led the Kings in scoring with 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting (57.1%) and 5-of-8 on 3-pointers (62.5%).

Sacramento is looking to earn its first Western Conference playoff berth since 2006, which represents the NBA’s longest active drought.

Key statistics for the Rockets in Friday’s game included:

  • Jalen Green: 27 points (just 2 in second half) on 10-of-21 shooting (47.6%) and 5-of-9 on 3-pointers (55.6%); 2 steals, 4 turnovers
  • Jabari Smith Jr.: Career-high 27 points on 11-of-20 shooting (55.0%) and 2-of-7 on 3-pointers (28.6%); 8 rebounds, career-high 3 blocks
  • Alperen Sengun: 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting (75.0%); 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals

Scroll on for highlights, analysis, and further postgame reaction. Next up for Houston, as its four-game West Coast road trip winds down, is a Sunday-Monday back-to-back in Los Angeles versus the Clippers and Lakers, respectively. Tipoff for Sunday’s Rockets-Clippers matinee at the Crypto.com Arena is at 2:00 p.m. Central.

Highlights

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