Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said Saturday that Smith will not have surgery on his fractured left hand, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Smith fractured his left hand on Jan. 3, which raised doubts about his return to the basketball court for the Rockets this season. Although electing not to have surgery on his hand could extend his recovery timeline, he is not expected to miss much more time than the original estimate of 4-to-8 weeks.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Suffers broken hand
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The Rockets announced Friday that Smith broke his left hand in shootaround and will be re-evaluated in 4-to-6 weeks, Michael Shapiro of SI.com reports.
Smith had yet to miss a game this season but will now be sidelined for an extended period as his broken left hand is expected to require surgery. Before his injury, the 21-year-old forward was averaging 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 30.9 minutes across 33 appearances. In Smith's absence, Tari Eason (lower leg), Amen Thompson (suspended), Cam Whitmore, Jae'Sean Tate and Jeff Green are all candidates to receive increased playing time.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Efficient in limited minutes
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Smith totaled 12 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), two rebounds, two steals and one block in 23 minutes during Wednesday's 110-99 win over the Mavericks.
Smith was solid in limited playing time following a lackluster seven-point performance in Sunday's loss to the Heat. The third-year pro briefly exited to the locker room after he was hit in the face during the second quarter, though he was able to return for the start of the second half. The injury shouldn't affect his status for Friday's game against Boston. Over his last 10 outings, Smith has averaged 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 blocks across 33.6 minutes per contest.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Quiet with seven points in loss
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Smith contributed seven points (2-8 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT) and three rebounds in 26 minutes during Sunday's 104-100 loss to the Heat.
Smith continued his up-and-down campaign Sunday, bringing very little production to the box score during a weak shooting night from the field. Smith has notched double digits in points during seven of his last nine games, an interval where he's averaging 13.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.9 threes in 34.7 minutes. The 2022 No. 3 overall pick has mostly failed to live up to the hype that made him a lottery selection, but head coach Ime Udoka has shown continued trust in Smith to handle plenty of minutes, likely enough to keep the 21-year-old big man floating around the top 100 for fantasy purposes going forward.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Extends productive stretch
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Smith had 21 points (7-14 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 11 rebounds and two assists over 35 minutes during Monday's 114-101 win over the Hornets.
Smith is going through his most productive stretch of the season and had another strong showing Monday, as he reached the 20-point mark just for the fourth time this season. The third-year forward is riding a streak of six games in a row with at least 13 points, hitting the 15-point mark four times and posting two double-doubles in that stretch. Smith is averaging 13.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game since the beginning of December.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Double-double in Sunday's win
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Smith registered 13 points (4-9 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists and one block in 34 minutes during Sunday's 117-106 victory over the Clippers.
The double-double was the fourth of the season for Smith, and he recorded at least one rejection and one made three for the seventh straight contest. The third-year big remains somewhat inconsistent, but over that seven-game stretch, the 21-year-old is averaging 11.4 points, 8.3 boards, 2.3 threes, 2.1 blocks and 1.1 assists while shooting 42.1 percent (16-for-38) from beyond the arc but only 44.4 percent overall from the floor.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Efficient from field
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Smith produced 19 points (8-9 FG, 3-4 3Pt), seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 38 minutes during Tuesday's 117-111 overtime win over Minnesota.
This was one of Smith's most complete performances of the season as the Rockets picked up their third win out of their last four games. Smith is starting to turn the corner after a slow start to the season, averaging 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 2.5 three-pointers over his last four outings.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Efficient scoring in win
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Smith recorded 23 points (8-13 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), eight rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes during Wednesday's 130-113 victory over the Pacers.
Smith was Houston's second-leading scorer behind Alperen Sengun in Wednesday's win. However, Smith has had a slow start to the season, converting just 31.5 percent of his 4.6 three-point attempts per contest.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Best game of season Friday
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Smith finished Friday's 125-104 win over the Clippers with 28 points (11-17 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 11 rebounds, one assist and two steals over 35 minutes.
Smith posted a season-high scoring mark Friday, but it's hard to imagine him posting these numbers steadily. This was just the second time he reached the 20-point mark this season, and he's a low-level scoring option in an offensive scheme that also features Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green. Smith is averaging just 11.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game since the beginning of November.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Modest output in loss
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Smith logged four points (2-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-1 FT), one rebound and one block in 17 minutes during Friday's 126-107 loss to the Thunder.
Smith's results have been confounding through the first three weeks of the season after widespread predictions of a breakout campaign. He's exceeded 20 points only once this season, and his totals have been peppered with four games in the single digits. He occasionally grabs enough rebounds to offset a poor scoring performance, but the drop-off is concerning. Increased volume beyond the arc seems to be key to his higher totals, and he's made only two shots from deep over the past two games.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Solid outing in win
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Smith chipped in 14 points (5-10 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds and one steal in 29 minutes during Thursday's 108-102 win over the Mavericks.
After starting off the season struggling with his efficiency, Smith has shot over 50 percent from the field in back-to-back games. While Smith's scoring numbers haven't been particularly impressive, he is one of the best rebounding forwards in the NBA, averaging 8.4 boards per contest.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Leads Houston with 24 points
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Smith closed Thursday's 133-110 loss to the Warriors with 24 points (8-17 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds and two assists across 32 minutes.
Jalen Green had a rough night offensively Thursday, but Smith stepped his game up and notched a team-high 24 points -- his fifth straight game with 15-plus points and the second time he surpassed the 20-point plateau in that stretch. The second-year forward has scored at least 15 points in nine of his last 11 appearances, and he's settling in quite well as a reliable go-to scoring option for the Rockets in the post, especially with Alperen Sengun (ankle) still sidelined.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Plays well despite loss
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Smith posted 28 points (9-14 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 5-5 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and three blocks across 36 minutes during Sunday's 125-107 loss to the Mavericks.
The Rockets had a rough showing as their 11-game winning streak came to an end, but Smith was one of the few bright spots. In 14 March appearances, Smith posted averages of 14.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 blocks, 0.9 steals and 2.1 three-pointers.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Back in starting lineup
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Smith (suspension) is in the starting five for Wednesday's game versus the Thunder.
After missing Houston's previous contest due to a suspension, Smith will replace Jock Landale in the starting lineup Wednesday. Smith is averaging 12.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 28.0 minutes across his lat 10 appearances.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Suspended one game
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The NBA announced Sunday that Smith has received a one-game suspension due to his involvement in an altercation in the second quarter of Saturday's 147-119 win over the Jazz.
Smith will serve the ban during Monday's game against the Trail Blazers. The second-year big man was on the receiving end of a punch from Utah's Kris Dunn with 11:55 remaining in the second quarter, and both players were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game. Because he was deemed to have initiated the altercation, Dunn received a two-game suspension to Smith's one. While Smith is out Monday, Jeff Green and Jock Landale should absorb most of the minutes at center.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Starts at center Tuesday
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Smith registered 15 points (5-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds, one assist and two steals over 33 minutes during Tuesday's 103-101 victory over San Antonio.
Smith got the nod as the starting center Tuesday, replacing Alperen Sengun who is likely to miss the remainder of the season with multiple knee and ankle injuries. While the move to center is not set in stone for Smith, it will likely give him a small bump in production, especially on the defensive end. Assuming he stays healthy, Smith could end up being a valuable piece on a lot of winning fantasy teams.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Records double-double
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Smith contributed 10 points (3-10 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists and three steals over 34 minutes during Sunday's 112-104 victory over the Kings.
Smith didn't have a good shooting performance and was erratic on offense, but he salvaged his fantasy stat line by grabbing 11 rebounds and adding three steals to the cause, proving he can be a disruptive presence on the defensive end. Smith needs to be better offensively, as he's failed to surpass the 15-point mark in six of his last 10 games. During that 10-game stretch, the second-year forward has averaged 14.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Leads from deep in defeat
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Smith contributed 19 points (6-11 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 3-4 FT), two rebounds, one assist and two blocks across 29 minutes during Wednesday's 122-116 loss to the Clippers.
Smith took the court Wednesday despite entering the contest questionable due to illness, going on to lead all Houston players in threes made while ending one point shy of the 20-point mark in a losing effort. Smith matched a season-high total in threes made, a feat he has now accomplished six times. He has recorded at least 19 points in 12 outings, including in four of his last 10 contests.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Will play Wednesday
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Smith (illness) is available for Wednesday's game against the Clippers, Lachard Binkley of TheDreamShake.com reports.
Smith was a late addition to the injury report but will ultimately play through an ailment. The second-year forward has scored at least 20 points four times over his last 12 appearances and is averaging 13.6 points (38.3 percent shooting) and 10.1 rebounds per game during that stretch.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Dealing with illness
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Smith is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Clippers due to an illness.
Smith finished Tuesday's win over San Antonio with just two points (1-6 FG) and three rebounds in 25 minutes, so he may have been a bit under the weather already. Jeff Green (knee) is also questionable, so Cam Whitmore, Amen Thompson and Jae'Sean Tate would be candidates for increased roles if Smith and Green are sidelined.
