Jabari Smith Jr. put together another impressive performance, continuing his hot run, to help the Houston Rockets defeat the Boston Celtics on Monday.
Smith produced 24 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one blocked shot in the 111-109 win at the Toyota Center. He went 9-of-11 from the field, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, in 36 minutes of work as the Rockets’ starting center.
The third pick registered his third straight game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. He is the only first-year player this season to do that and is the first rookie in team history to do so since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1985. Olajuwon did it in six consecutive games.
“(I’m) just letting it go and trusting my work,” Smith told Vanessa Richardson of AT&T SportsNet Southwest. “I’ve been playing basketball since I was born (so I’m) trusting my work, trusting what got me here and just letting it fly.”
Smith drained his first five 3s in the contest and played with immense confidence throughout his time on the court. He had 17 points in the first half, including nine in the second quarter, as the Rockets built a seven-point lead at halftime.
watch the rook do his thing đź‘Ź pic.twitter.com/T8jMUQIMax
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 14, 2023
Smith’s run began on Thursday when the 19-year-old registered a career-high 30 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to Indiana. He followed that with 20 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday versus Chicago before his latest effort on Monday.
Rockets coach Stephen Silas likes how Smith is playing of late.
The way he has bounced back from his rookie wall that he hit a little bit earlier and stayed with it and is finding confidence. I think everybody in the building sees the confidence he has now on both ends of the floor. He is not hesitating shooting the basketball. Before he was shot-faking and driving and turning down shots. He is not turning them down anymore.
He is averaging 24.7 points, 11 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks over his recent three-game stretch. Perhaps most impressive: He is shooting 61.4% from the field, including 62.5% from 3-point range (10-of-16).
Smith has had an up-and-down season, which is typical of any rookie at this level. But he is in the midst of his best stretch and looks to be enjoying himself on the court, despite the Rockets’ 16-52 record.
“(I’m) just learning, having fun,” Smith said. “Playing against the greatest players in the world, players I’ve been watching for so long – I am just enjoying it, having fun. (I’m) just taking the good with the bad and just enjoying it.”
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