The Houston Rockets are 5-1 in their last six games, most recently coming away with a 114-101 win over the Charlotte Hornets last night. While the scoring distribution was relatively even, one of the biggest bright spots for the Rockets was forward Jabari Smith Jr. He finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting, with the highest box plus/minus of the game (+25).
Smith has been incredibly efficient over the last six games, averaging 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2,2 assists, and 1.2 blocks. In that stretch, he’s shot 48.4% from the field and 41.9% from three.
It’s no coincidence that Smith’s play has translated to five wins in six games for the Rockets. In year three there were questions on whether or not he could take that step to be a major piece on a playoff team. With Houston having a 20-9 record, it seems like he’s been just that…