Courtesy of late heroics by rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr., the young Houston Rockets have their first three-game winning streak of the 2022-23 season. They’ve now won five of their last eight, overall, in what is clearly their best run of form in some time.
Now, in Sunday’s immediate rematch with New Orleans — which remains very much in the Western Conference playoff race — can Smith and the rebuilding Rockets somehow do it again?
Smith was the obvious postgame storyline for the Rockets, but second-year guard Jalen Green was most impactful for Friday’s game as a whole. The 21-year-old had a team-high 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists on 10-of-20 shooting (50.0%) against the Pelicans.
Defensively, the key is whether Alperen Sengun and the Rockets can find a way to better defend the interior size and physicality of Jonas Valanciunas. The seven-footer finished with 22 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 blocks on Friday, making 10-of-16 shots (62.5%).