Smith (hand) tallied 15 points (5-9 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and one block across 38 minutes in Friday's 121-115 win over the Timberwolves.
Smith had started in each of his previous 188 NBA games, but the Rockets brought the 21-year-old power forward off the bench for the first time in his career after he had missed the previous 22 contests while recovering from a fractured left hand. Despite coming off the bench, Smith was operating with no restrictions, as he ranked third on the team in minutes and turned in an efficient scoring performance. Considering he had averaged 30.9 minutes per game for the season prior to getting hurt, Smith's 38-minute workload from Friday shouldn't be regarded as the new norm. However, Smith is likely to eventually take back his starting spot from Tari Eason, which could happen as soon as the Rockets' game in Utah on Saturday. Eason will be a candidate to sit out the second leg of the back-to-back set for lower leg injury management.