Saturday’s summer league showdown between the Rockets and Thunder featured a clash of two of the top-three rookies in the NBA’s 2022 draft class: Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren.
Both prospects struggled to finish on offense, with Smith and Holmgren scoring 12 points apiece on 26.6% and 30.0% shooting, respectively. But each made a clear mark on defense, with Holmgren recording 8 rebounds and 4 blocks while Smith had 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks — with the latter two categories leading the summer Rockets.
Most notably, Smith saved his best for last. The Auburn product drilled a 3-pointer and a turnaround jumper in the final five minutes to put the Rockets back in front, and he collected a steal and a crucial late stop as Houston held on for a 90-88 win (box score). The final stop was massive, since Smith defended without fouling and used his length to force talented second-year guard Josh Giddey into a miss as time expired.
