DALLAS — Looking at the box score from the Houston Rockets’ 101-92 victory over the Mavericks, rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr.’s numbers appear fairly average. With 10 points and 9 rebounds, the line is unremarkable at first glance and resembles another blue-collar workday for an NBA rookie who is still getting his feet wet.
Yet, numbers can sometimes be deceiving and take away from the totality and impact that a player like Smith has on a game.
Smith, who the Rockets took at No. 3 overall in the 2022 NBA draft out of Auburn, imposed his will on the defensive end by blocking two shots and grabbing seven defensive rebounds. That helped lead Houston (3-12) to only its third win of the season.
Although Smith is averaging 10.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, he has struggled at times to find consistency in his jump shot, which is one of the reasons the Rockets were so high on him. For the season, he is shooting 31.5% overall and 30.4% on 3-pointers.
“My shot hasn’t been falling as of late, so I just try to play with energy, play free, and have fun,” said Smith, who is averaging 10.0 rebounds over his last four outings. “I just try to play hard and with energy.”
Jabari Smith's defense may have just won Houston the game.
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) November 17, 2022
That energy was there in the fourth quarter, and particularly when the Mavs had just overcome a five-point deficit to take a two-point lead with approximately eight minutes left to play. A missed Mavericks shot led to a Smith rebound, which eventually turned into a Usman Garuba layup to tie the game.
Houston regained the lead after Smith was fouled on an offensive rebound, resulting in two free throws (which he made) to give the Rockets an 85-83 advantage. From there, they never surrendered the lead, and Smith added a 3-pointer of his own to create separation.
“I just stopped overthinking things and just live with the results,” Smith said of his fourth-quarter play. “I have put in the work. I have been playing basketball all my life. So, I just trust in my work and trust in my teammates because we really wanted to win that game.”
