Jabari Smith Jr. continues surge with 20 and 10 as Bulls edge Rockets

Chicago got the win with a late rally, but #Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. continued his recent surge with an impressive 20 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday night.

Rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr. continued his resurgence for the Rockets in a 119-111 loss (box score) to the Bulls on Saturday night at Toyota Center. Chicago improved to 31-36 with the come-from-behind win, while Houston dropped to an NBA-worst 15-52 in defeat.

Smith led the Rockets with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, shooting 8-of-14 overall (57.1%) and 2-of-5 on 3-pointers (40%).

Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 36 points and 9 rebounds on 14-of-26 shooting (53.8%), including 3-of-8 on 3-pointers. Veteran star DeMar DeRozan added 27 points and 7 rebounds on 9-of-21 shooting (42.9%) and 2-of-3 from 3-point range (66.7%).

Beyond Smith, other Houston players in double figures included:

  • Jalen Green: 18 points, 7 assists; 7-of-14 shooting (50%), 3-of-7 on 3-pointers (42.9%)
  • KJ Martin: 16 points, 6-of-11 shooting (54.5%), 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50%)
  • Kevin Porter Jr.: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists; 5-of-13 shooting (38.5%), 2-of-7 on 3-pointers (28.6%)
  • Tari Eason: 12 points, 4 rebounds; 4-of-4 on 3-pointers

Scroll on for highlights, analysis and postgame interviews. Next up for Houston, as its six-game homestand continues, is Monday’s matchup versus Boston. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central.