With strong contributions on both offense and defense, Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. was the big story in Houston’s road Game 5 victory (box score) over the Los Angeles Lakers.
After two straight wins, the Rockets now trail the Lakers, 3-2, in the best-of-seven, first-round playoff series. Game 6 is Friday night in Houston.
Smith, a versatile 6-foot-11 forward, drew attention before Game 5 by pointing out that he believes Houston is “obviously the better team,” despite facing a 3-1 series deficit at the time.
He then went out and backed up his words on the court, where the fourth-year forward finished with a team-high 22 points while making 4-of-9 shots from 3-point range (44.4%).
“You can’t just say it and then come out and tuck your tail,” Smith said after Wednesday’s Game 5. “You’ve got to get out there and fight, and do the things that it takes to win. So, I’m gonna stand on that statement, and we’ve just got to keep proving it.”
After a crucial late turnover in a crushing Game 3 loss, Smith and the Rockets have regrouped in the days since while learning from that experience.
“I feel like we grew up,” Smith told reporters. “We’re growing up together.”
In the absence of All-Star forward Kevin Durant (ankle injury), Smith is also stepping up as a leader for a Houston group that now features one of the youngest starting lineups in the history of the NBA playoffs.
That group is now getting more experience and continuity in playing with each other, which couldexplain the apparent series turnaround.
“Last night, you know what caught my eye? Jabari Smith leading huddles down the stretch of the game,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Thursday. “Every single time on defense, he was bringing the guys together. Those three young guys (Smith, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson) have been leading dinners and (building) team camaraderie down the stretch of this playoff run.”
For the series to date, Smith is averaging 19.2 points (40.0% on 3-pointers, 78.3% on free throws) and 7.8 rebounds in 42.0 minutes per game. Defensively, the 22-year-old been part of a group effort against Lakers star LeBron James, whose efficiency has slipped during Houston’s back-to-back victories.
To tie the series, the Rockets will likely need more of that in Game 6, which tips off at 8:30 p.m. Central on Friday night. The game will be televised and streamed to a national audience via Prime Video.
In NBA playoff history, out of 161 best-of-seven series with a 3-0 margin, the Rockets are just the 16th team to win consecutive games to force a Game 6. They are hoping to become the first-ever NBA team to win a series after facing that deficit.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets better than Lakers? Jabari Smith Jr. stands on his statement
Reporting by Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire / Rockets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
