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Other than KD, are there any players you take things from? Baba Oladotun: I take a lot from LeBron's game, just his IQ and how he sees the court. And I also take a lot from Bam Adebayo, just like his footwork in the four. My middle name's Adebayo, actually, so like, that's a fun fact. But I take a lot from just how he's poised inside the mid post and stuff. And I also take a lot from Jabari Smith. This is his catch-and-shoot game. Obviously,he's not like a superstar in the NBA, but I like the way his play style. And then Brandon Ingram, like, gets his spots, rising over defenders.
Varun Shankar: Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka both say this team should have won more games. Stone called the season frustrating. Didn't say firmly if team would make big moves but said even if HOU doesn't, expects growth from young players (mentioned Tari Eason, Jabari Smith, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard) to lead to addnl success.
Rockets Wire: Jabari Smith Jr. on the Rockets’ chance to make history as the first NBA team to overcome a 3-0 deficit: “We’re just thinking about Game 6, tonight. The task at hand.” “We’re not thinking about Game 7. We’ll think about it tonight, when we’ve got to pack our bags. Not now.”
Varun Shankar: The Rockets force Game 6 with a gritty 99-93 win over the Lakers. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points to lead Houston. LeBron James all scorers with 25 points but went 9-for-20 from the field. The Lakers shot just 42.1% from the field and 25.9% from three.
Varun Shankar: Jabari Smith Jr. said Smart stunted towards him and he thought he could lob the pass over him. "I gotta dribble the ball up the floor," the forward said. Called his turnover "very careless" by him and said it "just can't happen."
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Shams Charania: With Kevin Durant sidelined, the Rockets are expected to utilize the second-youngest starting lineup in NBA playoff history -- their homegrown core of Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun.
Michael Shapiro: Found this interesting from Jabari Smith Jr. It's not enough for Kevin Durant to pass out of the double team, then trust his teammates to convert. What do Rockets need from Durant after the trap? “It's on him to find ways to get himself involved and get to his spots without the double team. Just because he's getting double teamed, we still need him to be KD, you know? There's still ways around it, and we got some fixes to [the KD trap], and we're gonna be better the next two games.” Full answer
Mike Trudell: Ime Udoka said Reed Sheppard will enter the starting lineup in the absence of Durant, alongside Josh Okogie, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith and Alperen Sengun.
“I came in the league thinking I was gonna be a scorer and thinking I was gonna be somebody who gets the ball every play, plays drawn up for him,” Smith Jr. said. “But that just wasn’t how it went.” Instead, the Rockets have used Smith Jr. as a complementary piece. He has started every game he played this season but is the clear fourth option on offense, often parked in the corner as a spot-up shooter. Some people would have sulked or pouted, letting the role change defeat them, he said. He chose to adapt instead.
Udoka had a different comparison for Smith Jr.'s development arc. “Reminds me of Kawhi Leonard back in the day,” Udoka said. He was an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs for much of Leonard’s tenure. The forward started as a role player before emerging into one of the league’s best two-way talents. “When you talk to Kawhi now,” Udoka said, “he’s pissed about standing in the corner for three years. He felt like he wasted some years, but I think the growth and progression that we had in San Antonio — to become a spot-up shooter to a pick-and-roll guy to a post-and-isolation guy — was good for him, instead of just throwing him in there when he wasn’t ready for it. A little bit of that with Jabari.”
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Varun Shankar: Rockets sitting Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson for tomorrow's game against the tanking Grizzlies. The result of the game does not matter for Houston's seeding. Rockets are locked into No. 5. Here's what will determine their playoff opponent.
Will Guillory: Final: Rockets 119, Grizzlies 109 Rockets come away with a double-digit win although it felt like this game was much closer than it should've been most of the night. Kevin Durant had 25 points and 10 assists. Jabari Smith had 21 points and 16 rebounds.
Varun Shankar: Amen Thompson will play tonight, Jabari Smith will test his ankle out per Udoka. No reaggravations, Udoka said, ankle injuries can just linger.
Varun Shankar: Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. questionable for today's game with right ankle injuries — same status and same injury as yesterday, when they played.