When Houston fell to 0-2 on Oct. 27 courtesy of a late collapse in the fourth quarter and overtime at San Antonio, Jabari Smith Jr. immediately took responsibility.
The second-year Rockets forward missed multiple free throws and an open 3-pointer in the final minute that could have put the game away. He was generally outplayed down the stretch by Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama.
In subsequent comments, Smith acknowledged that he “shut down” in that moment before vowing to not let it happen again.
To his credit, it hasn’t happened since. The Rockets are 4-1 in five games since then, and Smith’s superior efficiency is a big reason.
In his first two games of the 2023-24 season, Smith averaged 10 points and 7 rebounds per game while shooting 32% from the field and 16.7% on 3-pointers. In the five games since, the 6-foot-10 forward is averaging 15.4 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 58.5% overall and 50% from 3-point range.
On Wednesday, when Houston won its fourth straight game by blowing out the Lakers, head coach Ime Udoka said his new coaching staff is still learning its players and is improving by the game at putting them in the best positions and roles on the floor to succeed.
Smith is clearly near the forefront of that list. “He came out the next game hunting his shots,” Udoka said. “He didn’t get down about it, he more so got motivated. … He was down after the game, but he stayed confident, attacked, and we didn’t see him waver at all.”
Ever since his rough finish in San Antonio, Jabari Smith Jr. has averaged better than 16 points (60% FG, 50% on 3s) and 7 rebounds per game. I asked Ime Udoka about how Jabari grew from that moment:
“He came out the next game hunting his shots. He didn’t get down about it, he… pic.twitter.com/FN4NilUVUt
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) November 8, 2023
Udoka, Smith, and the Rockets look to keep their momentum rolling when New Orleans visits Houston’s Toyota Center on Friday. The hosts are in search of a fifth straight win, and it’s also the opener of the NBA’s new in-season tournament for the Rockets (schedule).
Jabari Smith Jr. says he feels like he “shut down” late in San Antonio, and he knows it can’t happen again.
“Me being a starter, me being a focal point, I can’t have shutdowns like that. Have to take it on the chin, learn from it, and I know it can’t happen again.” #Rockets pic.twitter.com/9MZLFv3kpD
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) October 29, 2023
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