Jabari Smith Jr. reignites his offense, dropping 23 points against the Raptors. His efficient scoring surge signals a promising return to form for Houston.
After a brief scoring dip, Jabari Smith Jr. looks like himself again.
Sunday night’s loss to the Spurs quietly hinted that things were turning around. Smith finished with 17 points and five rebounds, shooting 5-of-8 from the floor in San Antonio. It wasn’t enough to stop Houston’s defensive collapse, but the efficiency was a welcome sign.
Tuesday night confirmed it.
In the Rockets’ 113-99 win over the Toronto Raptors, Smith delivered one of his sharpest performances in weeks, finishing with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. He added four defensive rebounds, two assists, and a pair of steals, while going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
The scoring came at important moments, too.
Smith set the tone early with 10 points in the first quarter, helping Houston keep pace in what opened as a back-and-forth shooting duel. Later, during the Rockets’ decisive fourth-quarter surge, his defensive activity and transition finishing helped ignite a run that finally put Toronto away.
More than the numbers, the rhythm looked right again.
When Smith is playing confidently, Houston’s offense becomes much harder to defend. Defenses already have to account for Kevin Durant’s shot creation and Alperen Sengun’s interior presence. When Smith is spacing the floor, cutting decisively, and finishing possessions, the Rockets suddenly have scoring threats at multiple levels.
That version of Smith is exactly what Houston needs as the schedule tightens.
The Rockets don’t need him to carry the offense every night. They need efficiency, activity, and timely scoring- the exact things Smith delivered Tuesday.
After a quiet stretch, the forward’s scoring touch appears to be returning at the right time.
And if Tuesday night was any indication, Jabari Smith Jr. may be heating back up.