<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-most-improved-player-award-next-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. shooting for Most Improved Player award next season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Jabari_Smith_Jr._shooting_for_NBA_award_next_season.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. shooting for Most Improved Player award next season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-08-06T17:20:34-07:00">August 6th, 5:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-08-06T17:21:39-07:00">August 6th, 5:21pm</time><address><a>Quenton Albertie</a>Quenton Albertie is an author and sportswriter with a focus on the NBA. A native of Fort Hood, TX, Albertie currently lives in Atlanta, GA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Rockets forward-center <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-playing-2023-nba-summer-league" rel="noopener">Jabari Smith Jr. knows that there</a> will be a lot of eyes on him next season as he looks to bounce back from a rough rookie campaign. A fast riser on draft boards early in his freshman year at Auburn, Smith looked like a shadow of the player he was projected to be last winter.</p><p>No rookie is expected to be perfect, or even consistently dominant. However, Smith underwhelmed with 12.0 points per game on 38.9-30.3-79.4 splits prior to the 2023 All-Star Break. The Georgia native warmed up in the spring though, averaging 15.2 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting from the field in March and April.</p><p>He was even hotter in the summer, averaging 35.5 points per game in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-stuns-shaedon-sharpe-blazers-with-epic-summer-league-buzzer-beater" rel="noopener">2023 Las Vegas Summer League</a> while shooting 48.8 percent from the floor, playing with even more confidence and decisiveness.</p><p>In light of this, Smith was asked about his personal goals for the upcoming season while making an appearance on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i-R_uDsKwQ" rel="noopener">The Bradeaux &amp; Will Show</a>.</p><p>“Just be <a href="https://rocketswire.usatoday.com/2023/08/06/jabari-smith-jr-aiming-to-win-nbas-most-improved-player-in-2023-24/" rel="noopener">the most consistent</a>, everyday guy that I can be,” Smith says initially (h/t Ben Dubose of Rockets Wire). “Go into every game with the same mentality. Don’t change. Just impact winning. That’s my biggest thing. Whether it’s averaging 10 points or averaging 20, I just want to affect winning.”</p><p>Smith then reveals his intentions to win the Most Improved Player Award next season, noting that his goals don’t just serve him but the entire team.</p><p>“I definitely want to strive to win Most Improved Player. I’ve been working so hard this summer, why wouldn’t I try to go get that?,” he questions. “If I have that success, I know our team will have that success. Making the playoffs, play-in, or whatever. Just being in the postseason. That’s my goal, ultimately.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. shooting for Most Improved Player award next season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-painfully-honest-hardest-position-all-sports');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. gets painfully honest on ‘hardest position’ in all sports');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Jabari_Smith_Jr._gets_painfully_honest_on__hardest_position__in_all_sports.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. gets painfully honest on ‘hardest position’ in all sports</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-07-17T14:58:39-07:00">July 17th, 2:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-07-17T14:58:39-07:00">July 17th, 2:58pm</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jabari Smith Jr. of the Houston Rockets has recently been watching the show called “Quarterback” on Netflix, and got <a href="https://twitter.com/jabarismithjr/status/1681034179113263105" rel="noopener">brutally honest</a> about the difficulty of the position in a tweet he put out reacting to the show.</p><p>“I’m watching quarterback on Netflix… quarterback is definitely the hardest position in ALL of sports. This is crazy 😂” Jabari Smith Jr. wrote on Twitter.</p><p>“Quarterback” gives viewers an inside look of what it is like to be an NFL quarterback, featuring Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Marcus Mariota, who was on the Atlanta Falcons in 2022.</p><p>Smith Jr. was convinced by the documentary featuring Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota that quarterback is the hardest position in all of sports. However, he pushed back when someone said that cornerback are the hardest positions to play, saying that point guard is <a href="https://twitter.com/jabarismithjr/status/1681040569584238593?s=20" rel="noopener">harder to play</a> than cornerback.</p><p>Smith Jr. is heading into his second season with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-cam-whitmore-summer-league-mvp-awards" rel="noopener">Rockets</a>. His first year was disappointing, but he has a new coach in Ime Udoka taking over for his second season. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/predictions-cavs-vs-rockets-nba-summer-league-final" rel="noopener">Rockets</a> also brought in veterans like Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks in free agency.</p><p>Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks should be helpful to young players like Smith Jr., Jalen Green and rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore.</p><p>The Rockets have a lot of young talent, and they could emerge as a playoff contender in the near future if that young talent does develop and mesh well with the veteran players who signed with the team this offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. gets painfully honest on ‘hardest position’ in all sports

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-houston-makes-jabari-smith-jr-tari-eason-summer-league-decisions');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets make key Jabari Smith Jr, Tari Eason NBA Summer League decisions');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Houston-makes-key-Jabari-Smith-Jr-Tari-Eason-NBA-Summer-League-decisions.jpeg"></figure><h1>Rockets make key Jabari Smith Jr, Tari Eason NBA Summer League decisions</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-07-10T13:46:39-07:00">July 10th, 1:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-07-10T13:46:39-07:00">July 10th, 1:46pm</time><address><a>Jesse Cinquini</a>23-year-old aspiring sports journalist. Associate NBA editor at ClutchPoints. Staff Writer at SB Nation's CelticsBlog and The Knicks Wall.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets own a 2-0 record in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-summer-league-4-brandon-thompson-reactions-vegas-opener" rel="noopener">NBA Summer League so far</a>, largely thanks to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-playing-2023-nba-summer-league" rel="noopener">play of</a> forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason. They have been two of the top performers of the NBA Summer League so far. Smith averaged 35.5 points, seven rebounds, and four assists per game in the two wins, and Eason averaged 23 points, 9.5 rebounds, and four assists.</p><p>Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason are playing so well, in fact, that the Rockets made a key Summer League decision regarding the two forwards. Both Smith Jr. and Eason are <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1678487797408100367?s=20" rel="noopener">likely done playing</a> in the Summer League, per The Athletic’s Kelly Iko.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason are likely done playing in Summer League, per <a href="https://twitter.com/KellyIko?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KellyIko</a>. </p><p>Smith averaged 35.5 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists while Eason averaged 23 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4 assists over  the first 2 games. <a href="https://t.co/RM9oAHiaqt">pic.twitter.com/RM9oAHiaqt</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1678487797408100367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Jabari Smith Jr., 20, has played one year in the NBA. He averaged 12.8 points per game, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.9 blocks, 1.3 turnovers, and 2.9 personal fouls per game across 79 appearances as a rookie (all starts).</p><p>The former Auburn star struggled to shoot the ball accurately from behind the three-point arc in the 2022-23 campaign — Smith Jr. shot just 30.7% from behind the three-point arc in his maiden NBA season.</p><p>Meanwhile, Tari Eason, 22, has also played just one year in the NBA. He averaged 9.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.6 blocks, 1.2 turnovers, and 2.3 personal fouls per game across 82 appearances in the 2022-23 regular season.</p><p>The Rockets pulling both Eason and Smith Jr. from Summer League play seems like the right move. After all, both players showed that they were too good for Summer League. Here’s to hoping that Eason and Smith Jr. continue playing at a high level once the 2024 regular season rolls around.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets make key Jabari Smith Jr, Tari Eason NBA Summer League decisions

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-appearing-to-trash-talk-james-wiseman-during-monster-game-goes-viral');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. appearing to trash-talk James Wiseman during monster game goes viral');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Rockets-Jabari-Smith-Jr.-James-Wiseman-Pistons-2023-NBA-Summer-League.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. appearing to trash-talk James Wiseman during monster game goes viral</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-07-10T06:48:28-07:00">July 10th, 6:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-07-10T06:48:28-07:00">July 10th, 6:48am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Loves Arsenal and the Los Angeles Clippers, so his loyalty can never be questioned. This guy has been through enough sports trauma for one lifetime -- so he writes about it instead as a form of therapy. (It hasn't worked though. Someday maybe it will -- especially when he's been working for ClutchPoints since August 2022.)</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jabari Smith Jr. did not have the most seamless of rookie seasons. The Houston Rockets, as a whole, were a mess during the 2022-23 season, winning just 22 games and drawing considerable flak around the league for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-austin-rivers-drops-critical-houston-take-that-jalen-green-wont-like" rel="noopener">lacking the veteran presences</a> needed to help mold their youngsters into winning players. But Smith’s efficiency problems and less-than-ideal shot selection did not help matters at all.</p><p>However, Smith may be primed for a huge sophomore season, if his first two 2023 NBA Summer League performances are any indication. On Sunday night, Smith had his way against the Detroit Pistons — one of the strongest teams in Vegas — torching them for 38 points and dazzling the crowd with his improved offensive arsenal.</p><p>One play stands out in particular during his demolition job of the Pistons. With around eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, Jabari Smith Jr. took on James Wiseman off the dribble near the top of the key. Smith sized up Wiseman with a crossover and proceeded to pull up right in his face as if he wasn’t there. The Rockets forward <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1678183405127712769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1678183405127712769%7Ctwgr%5E894a9a1f1a1c0bd58011016dd6a5ed166b03badc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fftw.usatoday.com%2F2023%2F07%2Fjabari-smith-summer-league-highlights-rockets-pistons-james-wiseman" rel="noopener">swished the triple</a> then appeared to say that Wiseman <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2023/07/jabari-smith-summer-league-highlights-rockets-pistons-james-wiseman" rel="noopener">“can’t guard him at all</a>” as he was going back on defense.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Jabari Smith Jr….sheesh <a href="https://t.co/0AAFNc96tg">pic.twitter.com/0AAFNc96tg</a></p><p>— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1678183405127712769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>James Wiseman was simply barbecue chicken for Jabari Smith Jr. Not only did he cook him from beyond the arc, he also got by him earlier in the game, scoring an incredible acrobatic off-hand layup to draw an and-one on the hapless Pistons defender.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jabari Smith Jr cooks Wiseman and finishes the reverse with the bump <a href="https://t.co/P2RasPxn3Z">pic.twitter.com/P2RasPxn3Z</a></p><p>— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1678181804581289985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>So all things considered, it’s not like Jabari Smith Jr.’s taunt towards James Wiseman was unwarranted. Smith was in his bag, which should <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-playing-2023-nba-summer-league" rel="noopener">bode well for his development</a> as one of the long-term cornerstones for a Rockets team that has struggled over the past few seasons.</p><p>All in all, Smith had 38 points, seven rebounds, and six assists on 13-25 shooting from the field, although he did miss seven of his 10 attempts from deep on the night. It’ll be interesting to watch if the Rockets youngster carries over his newfound efficiency from two during Summer League into the regular season, as he should be a much better sniper from three than he showed against the Pistons.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. appearing to trash-talk James Wiseman during monster game goes viral

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-playing-2023-nba-summer-league');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jabari Smith Jr’s strong take on why he’s playing in NBA Summer League will fire up Rockets fans');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jrs-strong-take-on-why-hes-playing-in-nba-summer-league-will-fire-up-houston-fans.jpg"></figure><h1>Jabari Smith Jr’s strong take on why he’s playing in NBA Summer League will fire up Rockets fans</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-07-08T10:02:09-07:00">July 8th, 10:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-07-08T10:07:59-07:00">July 8th, 10:07am</time><address><a href="https://joeymistretta.wordpress.com">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a sports writer/editor who covers multiple sports. Notably, Mistretta covers baseball, basketball, and football. He is originally from a small town in Southern California. Mistretta graduated college with a degree in broadcast journalism from Biola University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets will be one of the more intriguing teams during the 2023-24 season. Houston’s already made a number of impactful roster moves and they are expected to improve moving forward. Jabari Smith Jr may also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-stuns-shaedon-sharpe-blazers-with-epic-summer-league-buzzer-beater" rel="noopener">be in line for progression</a>, and he <a href="https://twitter.com/JTGatlin/status/1677666124211818497" rel="noopener">recently commented on why</a> he opted to play in the NBA Summer League, per Jackson Gatlin.</p><p>“I’m 20 years old,” Smith said. “Why wouldn’t I play Summer League? We were 22-60 last year…My rookie year wasn’t perfect, so why not get out here and get reps, play with my new teammates and coaches.”</p><h2><b>Jabari Smith Jr’s future remains bright</b></h2><p>Smith, as he stated, did not have the best rookie season. That said, he still displayed signs of potential. He finished the 2022-23 campaign with a 12.8 points per game average. However, he battled low shooting efficiency throughout the year. If he can find the bottom of the net on a more consistent basis, Smith will probably have a breakout 2023-24 performance.</p><p>Smith also helped on the glass and was durable last year, averaging 7.2 rebounds per game and appearing in 79 contests.</p><h2><b>Rockets’ 2023-24 season outlook</b></h2><p>Houston’s young players will continue to improve. Smith Jr’s ceiling is fairly high, and Jalen Green could emerge as a superstar. Meanwhile, the Rockets added established talent in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jalen-green-fred-vanvleet-first-workout-as-teammates" rel="noopener">veterans like Fred VanVleet</a> and Dillon Brooks.</p><p>This Houston team is not quite ready to compete for a championship just yet, but the future is growing increasingly bright. Fans will also monitor the team’s moves as rumors continues to swirl about a potential James Harden trade.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jabari Smith Jr’s strong take on why he’s playing in NBA Summer League will fire up Rockets fans

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-stuns-shaedon-sharpe-blazers-with-epic-summer-league-buzzer-beater');   ga('set', 'title', 'VIDEO: Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. stuns Shaedon Sharpe, Blazers with epic Summer League buzzer-beater');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-reveals-all-star-weekend-event-he-wants-to-participate-in-most.jpg"></figure><h1>VIDEO: Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. stuns Shaedon Sharpe, Blazers with epic Summer League buzzer-beater</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-07-07T18:35:07-07:00">July 7th, 6:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-07-07T18:41:28-07:00">July 7th, 6:41pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a>Angelo Guinhawa is a basketball and soccer/football editor/writer. He uses his background in digital marketing to make sure you get to read his work. He has previously worked for FOX Sports PH and a number of reputable sports media outlets. If he's not writing or watching sports, he's likely scouring online for his next NBA card purchase.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Rockets big man Jabari Smith Jr. wore his Superman cape and saved the day in their Summer League showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.</p><p>With just 0.6 seconds left and the Blazers ahead 99-97, Smith received the inbound at the top of the 3-point arc and quickly launched it from there to <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1677486029316722689" rel="noopener">beat the buzzer</a>. And he did, as he drained the shot to seal the 100-99 victory.</p><p>It was definitely a desperate attempt, though fans have to give props to Smith for maintaining some shooting form to drain the clutch bucket.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🚨 JABARI SMITH JR. GAME WINNER 🚨 </p><p>WOW. <a href="https://t.co/atNBkHgNxR">pic.twitter.com/atNBkHgNxR</a></p><p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1677486029316722689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>For what it’s worth, the shot was the perfect icing on what was a dominant display from Jabari Smith Jr. in the game. He finished with 33 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one block. He shot 44.4 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.</p><p>Smith got plenty of help from Tari Eason, who recorded 20 points, nine boards, five dimes and four blocks.</p><p>Shaedon Sharpe led the way for Portland in the game. He had 21 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks, and everyone thought he sealed the game when he drained a bonus Blazers free throw to make it a two-point lead with 9.8 seconds left. Unfortunately for him and Portland, Lady Luck smiled on Houston’s favor.</p><p><b>Injuries for Scoot Henderson Amen Thompson</b></p><p>While the Rockets are certainly happy to win, it’s hard to celebrate. The Rockets’ no. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Amen Thompson, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-amen-thompson-suffers-injury-nba-summer-league-debut" rel="noopener">sustained an ankle injury</a> late in the game and had to limp off into the locker room.</p><p>Meanwhile, it’s a double whammy for the Blazers, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-scoot-henderson-leaves-nba-summer-league-debut-early-with-shoulder-injury" rel="noopener">Scoot Henderson also being ruled</a> out midway through the contest due to a right shoulder injury.</p><p>More details about the injuries of the two are expected to come out soon as their respective teams assess their conditions.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

VIDEO: Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. stuns Shaedon Sharpe, Blazers with epic Summer League buzzer-beater

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-amen-thompson-take-fit-jalen-green-jabari-smith-jr');   ga('set', 'title', 'Amen Thompson’s take on his fit with Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. will hype Rockets fans up');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Rockets-news-Amen-Thompson_s-take-on-his-fit-with-Jalen-Green-Jabari-Smith-Jr.-will-hype-fans-up.jpg"></figure><h1>Amen Thompson’s take on his fit with Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. will hype Rockets fans up</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-06-23T12:05:20-07:00">June 23rd, 12:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-06-23T12:05:20-07:00">June 23rd, 12:05pm</time><address><a>Quenton Albertie</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Other</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rockets-pistons-amen-ausar-thompson-summer-league-schedule" rel="noopener">Houston Rockets</a> organization and fan base are both rightly excited after selecting Overtime Elite point guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-amen-thompson-pick-draws-epic-reactions-from-kevin-porter-jr-houston-teammates" rel="noopener">Amen Thompson</a> with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.</p><p>One of the most exhilarating prospects in recent memory due to what could become a signature blend of breathtaking athleticism and cerebral playmaking at 6-foot-7, Thompson and Rockets shooting guard Jalen Green project to be one of the most explosive backcourts in the NBA. Of course, all of that is well-documented though, and draft enthusiasts have long visaged opponents catching the Holy Ghost when being baptized by Amen and Co.</p><p>However, Thompson’s fit with the other players on the roster is also exciting, particularly with the Rockets having so many players that are better outside shooters than they displayed last season.</p><p>He knows that too, telling The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, “I think I pair really well with all of those guys. I think <a href="https://theathletic.com/4634320/2023/06/23/cam-whitmore-amen-thompson-rockets-nba/" rel="noopener">we’re a big lineup</a> that can lock up on defense. I think getting Jabari [Smith Jr.] and Jalen [Green] easier, wide-open looks, their 3-point percentage is going to go up. They’re going to be utilized in a better way. I think that’s just what we need, and I need them too.”</p><p>Using his court vision, instincts, passing prowess and rim gravity, Amen can be the Rockets’ core playmaker.</p><p>Even helping Smith, who the Rockets selected with the third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. A stretch-four with elite defensive potential, Smith struggled offensively for most of his rookie season.</p><p>He ended 2022-23 shooting 30.7 percent from the deep, far below the 42.0 percent he shot from 3 at Auburn. Most of <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1631095/shots-dash?SeasonType=Regular+Season" rel="noopener">his attempts last season</a> came with defenders at least four feet away too.</p><p>Nonetheless, continuing to get him clean looks is essential for his success.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Amen Thompson’s take on his fit with Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. will hype Rockets fans up

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-calls-out-tari-eason-for-nasty-head-hit');   ga('set', 'title', '‘F**king hack’: Jabari Smith Jr. calls out Rockets teammate for nasty head hit that required stitches');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/fking-hack-jabari-smith-jr-calls-out-teammate-for-nasty-head-hit-that-required-stitches.jpg"></figure><h1>‘F**king hack’: Jabari Smith Jr. calls out Rockets teammate for nasty head hit that required stitches</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-06-13T17:57:24-07:00">June 13th, 5:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-06-13T17:57:24-07:00">June 13th, 5:57pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a>A father of two over-energetic boys, Pao has been a writer for ClutchPoints for many years. His passion lies in all things NBA and he has a knack for speaking his mind in his articles -- even when at times it gets him into trouble with the fans. Controversial? Maybe. Excellent writer? Definitely.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It may be the offseason right now but the Houston Rockets are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-the-player-rockets-are-targeting-with-no-4-pick-in-2023-nba-draft" rel="noopener">making the necessary preparations</a> ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. As a matter of fact, they’re practice sessions may have gotten a bit too intense, especially when you consider that we’re currently right smack in the middle of summer.</p><p>Rockets stud Jabari Smith Jr. got into a bit of an accident during a recent practice with his teammates. Apparently, the 20-year-old took a hit to the head that required stitches. Tari Eason was the man responsible for the damage, and Smith did not shy away from calling out his own teammate on a post-practice IG Live feed:</p><p>“Tari Eason bucked me,” Smith said. “I gotta go get stitches and sh*t, man. <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1668766619517194241" rel="noopener">Look at this f***ing hack</a> man.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Tari Eason bucked me. I gotta go get stitches and sh*t man, look at this f***ing hack man.”</p><p>Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. took a shot from fellow Rocket teammate Tari Eason and needed some stitches 😂🤕</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/jabarismithjr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jabarismithjr</a>/ IG) <a href="https://t.co/j3RcxyiURo">pic.twitter.com/j3RcxyiURo</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1668766619517194241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>That looks like it hurt pretty bad. It is unclear how Smith sustained his injury, but what cannot be denied is that he’s blaming Eason for the fact that he’s now going to have to get stitches on his wound.</p><p>While Jabari Smith clearly wasn’t in a jovial mood (I mean, who would be after taking a nasty hit to the head?), it doesn’t seem like there’s any animosity between the two teammates. This is all part of it, and I’m pretty sure this incident will come to pass sooner rather than later.</p><p>Whatever the case might be, both Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason will be integral parts of the Rockets’ 2023-24 season. They’re not exactly going to be title contenders, but Houston fans are hoping for a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-why-fred-vanvleet-is-a-more-realistic-james-harden-backup-plan-for-rockets-than-kyrie-irving" rel="noopener">much better year</a> this time around.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

‘F**king hack’: Jabari Smith Jr. calls out Rockets teammate for nasty head hit that required stitches

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-drops-honest-take-james-harden-houston-reunion-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jabari Smith Jr. drops honest take on James Harden-Rockets reunion rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Rockets-news-Jabari-Smith-Jr.jpg"></figure><h1>Jabari Smith Jr. drops honest take on James Harden-Rockets reunion rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-06-11T17:56:48-07:00">June 11th, 5:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-06-11T17:56:48-07:00">June 11th, 5:56pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a>Angelo Guinhawa is a basketball and soccer/football editor/writer. He uses his background in digital marketing to make sure you get to read his work. He has previously worked for FOX Sports PH and a number of reputable sports media outlets. If he's not writing or watching sports, he's likely scouring online for his next NBA card purchase.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jabari Smith Jr. has heard the rumors about James Harden potentially reuniting with the Houston Rockets, and he actually loves it. However, he wouldn’t mind as well if it doesn’t happen.</p><p>The Rockets youngster shared as much during an interview with HoopsHype, noting that they still need to focus on improving their play individually and as a team regardless of what happens in free agency.</p><p>“That’d be great. The team would want a Hall of Famer. It’s promising, but <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/jabari-smith-on-eurocamp-rookie-year-rockets-future-and-james-harden/" rel="noopener">we’re not just banking on that</a>. We’re still focused on us and how we can improve as a team,” Smith said of Harden’s potential Rockets return.</p><p>The third overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft would definitely love to see Harden rejoin the Rockets, though, and he has a pitch ready to convince him to go back to the place where he cemented his legendary status.</p><p>“Come back home. He did so much for that city; there’s still so much love for him in Houston. It would definitely feel like home for him if he came back,” Smith added.</p><p>It’s unknown what James Harden will really do, though as Jabari Smith Jr. said, it might not be a bad idea at all to return to Houston.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/james-harden-torn-between-sixers-rockets" rel="noopener">Harden is reportedly torn</a> whether he would stay with the Philadelphia 76ers or rejoin the Rockets. He has been linked with a Houston reunion even before the season ended, so that’s definitely a possibility. However, an anonymous NBA exec recently labeled the talks as a “negotiating ploy” in a bid to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-james-harden-potential-rockets-return-labeled-negotiating-ploy" rel="noopener">get more money from Philly</a>.</p><p>Whatever happens, at least Smith and the rest of the Rockets have the right mindset on focusing on themselves rather than the players they can add to improve the team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jabari Smith Jr. drops honest take on James Harden-Rockets reunion rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-ignites-houston-san-antonio-rivalry-with-cheeky-response-to-victor-wembanyamas-reaction');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jabari Smith Jr. ignites Rockets-Spurs rivalry with cheeky response to viral Victor Wembanyama video');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Rockets-news-Jabari-Smith-Jr.jpeg"></figure><h1>Jabari Smith Jr. ignites Rockets-Spurs rivalry with cheeky response to viral Victor Wembanyama video</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-05-17T10:36:43-07:00">May 17th, 10:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-05-17T10:54:38-07:00">May 17th, 10:54am</time><address><a>Jack Tien-Dana</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Every team at the NBA Draft <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-playoff-odds-projection-victor-wembanyama-lottery" rel="noopener">lottery</a> was desperate to land <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-draft-lottery-2023-winners-losers-spurs-win-victor-wembanyama-sweepstakes" rel="noopener">Victor Wembanyama</a>, but that doesn’t mean he was necessarily excited to go to every team. Although Wembanyama seems pleased to (presumably) join the San Antonio Spurs next month, his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-victor-wembanyama-appears-to-be-ecstatic-houston-didnt-land-no-1-pick-in-nba-draft-lottery" rel="noopener">biggest reaction of the night</a> came when he realized that he wouldn’t have to end up on the dysfunctional Houston Rockets.</p><p>When <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-best-nba-draft-targets-no-4-pick" rel="noopener">the Rockets</a> were announced to have slid down to the fourth pick, Wembanyama could hardly hold back his excitement, flashing a goofy faux scowl before breaking out in a big smile. Needless to say, the Rockets and, namely, Jabari Smith Jr. (the Rockets’ third overall pick last year) took notice and receipts.</p><p>After the video of an elated Wembanyama went viral on Twitter,” Smith Jr. <a href="https://twitter.com/jabarismithjr/status/1658867218715750401?s=20" rel="noopener">responded</a> on Wednesday morning, quote tweeting the video with a simple “📝,” signifying that he’s not going to just let this perceived disrespect slide.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jabari-smith-drops-truth-bomb-on-falling-to-no-3-in-2022-nba-draft" rel="noopener">third overall pick</a> in the 2022 NBA draft, Jabari Smith Jr. is a foundational part of the Rockets’ rebuild. After a slow start to his rookie year, Smith came into his own as the season progressed and averaged 15.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting 47.2 percent (36.5 percent from three) over his final 20 contests.</p><p>While the Rockets might be up in arms about Victor Wembanyama’s shade, it’s not entirely undeserved. Last season, the Rockets were a mess, so much so that veterans like Eric Gordon and John Wall felt compelled to remark on it. As such, the Rockets have cleaned out their coaching staff this offseason, canning Stephen Silas and bringing in Ime Udoka.</p><p>Hopefully, this little Twitter tiff between Smith Jr. and Wembanyama can revitalize the rivalry between the Rockets and Spurs, which was formerly one of the NBA’s fiercest but has gone dormant for the last few years as both teams have languished in the lottery.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jabari Smith Jr. ignites Rockets-Spurs rivalry with cheeky response to viral Victor Wembanyama video

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-eye-opening-reaction-kendrick-perkins-calling-giannis-bucks-season-complete-failure');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. has shocking reaction to Kendrick Perkins calling Giannis, Bucks’ season a ‘complete failure’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Rockets-news-Jabari-Smith-Jr.-has-eye-opening-reaction-to-Kendrick-Perkins-calling-Giannis-and-Bucks_-season-a-_failure_.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. has shocking reaction to Kendrick Perkins calling Giannis, Bucks’ season a ‘complete failure’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-04-27T14:55:56-07:00">April 27th, 2:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-04-27T14:55:56-07:00">April 27th, 2:55pm</time><address><a>Quenton Albertie</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-rockets-among-teams-expected-try-steal-cam-johnson-nets" rel="noopener">Houston Rockets</a> forward Jabari Smith Jr. salvaged his rookie year with strong play towards the end of the 2022-23 regular season.</p><p>Still, it’s still a curious choice for him to take to Twitter and second controversial ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins’ opinion that the Milwaukee Bucks season was “a complete failure.”</p><p>“Are we serious right now,” Perkins begins on popular ESPN segment NBA Today.</p><p>“Is Giannis [Antetokounmpo] serious right now? This was a complete failure by the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-miamis-stunned-reaction-after-bucks-mike-budenholzers-game-5-gaffe" rel="noopener">Milwaukee Bucks</a>. You were the number one seed. The best team in the league. The favorites to win it all and you lost to the eighth-seed — who got in through the <a href="https://www.nba.com/standings" rel="noopener">Play-In Tournament</a> — who’s missing their third-best player in Tyler Herro.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="art">💯 <a href="https://t.co/zYwwVJhDe4">https://t.co/zYwwVJhDe4</a></p><p>— Jabari Smith Jr (@jabarismithjr) <a href="https://twitter.com/jabarismithjr/status/1651691145288732683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Though Perkins is right to point out that the Heat were undermanned without Herro, he does seem to ignore that Giannis sustained a back injury in Game 1. For a player that dominates with a constant attack at the rim, that obviously had an impact on the star and could be a reason that Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer didn’t put him on Jimmy Butler more.</p><p>Furthermore, Khris Middleton still hasn’t look quite himself after missing more than four dozen games since the 2022 NBA Playoffs while dealing with knee and wrist injuries.</p><p>That aside, Smith agreeing with Perkins can be seen one of two ways.</p><p>On the one hand, he could simply be saying that any season where a championship isn’t won is a failure, something that could endear Rockets fans.</p><p>He could also just be saying that the Bucks failed to meet expectations.</p><p>Nonetheless, many will roll their eyes at his comments, as the Rockets still need to get their own situation in order. Furthermore, Smith may have put himself even further under the microscope moving forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. has shocking reaction to Kendrick Perkins calling Giannis, Bucks’ season a ‘complete failure’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-houston-fans-go-nuts-after-jabari-smith-jr-stuns-pelicans-at-the-buzzer');   ga('set', 'title', '‘Jabari for the win!’: Rockets fans going nuts after Jabari Smith Jr. stuns Pelicans at the buzzer');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-reveals-all-star-weekend-event-he-wants-to-participate-in-most.jpg"></figure><h1>‘Jabari for the win!’: Rockets fans going nuts after Jabari Smith Jr. stuns Pelicans at the buzzer</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-03-17T19:49:35-07:00">March 17th, 7:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-03-17T19:59:54-07:00">March 17th, 7:59pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a>Angelo Guinhawa is a basketball and soccer/football editor/writer. He uses his background in digital marketing to make sure you get to read his work. He has previously worked for FOX Sports PH and a number of reputable sports media outlets. If he's not writing or watching sports, he's likely scouring online for his next NBA card purchase.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets are on a roll, extending their winning streak to three on Friday off an epic clutch performance from rookie big man Jabari Smith Jr. against the New Orleans Pelicans.</p><p>With just four second left and the Pelicans up by one, 112-111, Smith took matters into his own hands to deliver the Rockets to victory. After receiving the inbounds pass, the third overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft didn’t waste any time and proceeded to launch from beyond the arc for the win.</p><p>Of course he made it, sending the Rockets bench and all the fans inside Toyota Center in a <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1636917170285281280" rel="noopener">massive frenzy</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🚨 JABARI SMITH JR. 🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HoustonRockets</a> TAKE THE LEAD! </p><p>Watch NOW: <a href="https://t.co/0rrSPxOHD0">https://t.co/0rrSPxOHD0</a> <a href="https://t.co/6geVKUQT4f">pic.twitter.com/6geVKUQT4f</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1636917170285281280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Rockets fans were also quick to shower Jabari Smith Jr. with praises, and for good reason. While he struggled a bit in the 114-112 win and finished with just 11 points and eight boards, he knew when to step up. The Houston faithful definitely loved the confidence he showed at that moment and how the team is coming together as they start winning.</p><p>Sure the team is out of playoff contention, but they are definitely heading in the right direction in their rebuild.</p><p>“OH MY GOD JABARI SMITH JR IS HIM,” one fan said. Another Houston supporter added, “I have the Jabari Smith Jr. game winner on an endless loop! That’s my rook!”</p><p>“Jabari Smith Jr. showing out is by far the best thing that could of happened at the end of this Rockets season. Confidence is through the roof!” a third fan shared.</p><p>What a day to be a Rockets fan, indeed.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

‘Jabari for the win!’: Rockets fans going nuts after Jabari Smith Jr. stuns Pelicans at the buzzer

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-tallies-impressive-houston-rookie-feat-not-seen-since-hakeem-olajuwon');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jabari Smith Jr. tallies impressive Rockets rookie feat not seen since Hakeem Olajuwon');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jabari-Smith-Jr.-Hakeem-Olajuwon-Rockets-rookie-NBA-Draft.jpg"></figure><h1>Jabari Smith Jr. tallies impressive Rockets rookie feat not seen since Hakeem Olajuwon</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-03-13T21:22:29-07:00">March 13th, 9:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-03-13T21:22:29-07:00">March 13th, 9:22pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Loves Arsenal and the Los Angeles Clippers, so his loyalty can never be questioned. This guy has been through enough sports trauma for one lifetime.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets are on pace to finish with the worst record in the NBA for the third season in a row. As frustrating as it can be for fans of a franchise that has grown accustomed to winning over the greater part of the last 20 years, bottoming out has helped the Rockets accumulate a plethora of young, talented players who could, perhaps, lead the way for the next great Rockets team. And on Monday night, rookie Jabari Smith Jr. showed that the Rockets truly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-s-brutally-honest-take-on-not-being-taken-with-no-1-pick-in-2022-nba-draft" rel="noopener">have a keeper on their hands</a> with the third overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft.</p><p>With Alperen Sengun out due to a groin injury, Smith started at center instead of at his usual power forward position. And the move paid off big time; the 19-year old big man had himself yet another solid game, finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds on an impressive 9-11 shooting from the field to help the Rockets to a resounding 111-109 win over the Celtics.</p><p>In doing so, Jabari Smith Jr. <a href="https://twitter.com/nbastats/status/1635474796812161027" rel="noopener">became the first Rockets rookie</a> since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1985 to tally three straight games of 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds, according to NBA.com/Stats Twitter.</p><p>Rockets fans should be excited to witness Smith <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/jabari-smith-march-9-to-march-13" rel="noopener">begin to put it all together</a> on both ends of the court. After suffering through characteristic rookie problems through much of the 2022-23 campaign, the Rockets forward is looking to end his first professional season on a high. In fact, Smith recently tallied a career-best 30-point scoring night against the Indiana Pacers last Thursday, and he followed that up with an impressive 20-10 effort against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.</p><p>Jabari Smith Jr.’s counting stats shouldn’t be what catches headlines, however. Before his historic three-game run akin to that of Hakeem Olajuwon’s, Smith <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=jabari+smith+22-23+stats+before+march+9+2023" rel="noopener">was just shooting 38.9 percent from the field</a> and 29.6 percent from deep. His unprecedented efficiency over the past few games should bode well as he continues to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-stephen-silas-shocking-jabari-smith-jr-admission-will-piss-off-houston-fans" rel="noopener">carve out a larger role</a> for himself in the Rockets’ offense.</p><p>There may have been some frustrations about Smith’s shortcomings, but this three-game stretch proves that the Rockets have a future two-way beast in town should they develop him to the best of his abilities.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jabari Smith Jr. tallies impressive Rockets rookie feat not seen since Hakeem Olajuwon

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-damian-lillard-puts-jabari-smith-jr-on-a-poster-amid-71-point-explosion');   ga('set', 'title', 'Damian Lillard puts Jabari Smith Jr. on a poster amid 71-point explosion');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Blazers-Damian-Lillard.jpg"></figure><h1>Damian Lillard puts Jabari Smith Jr. on a poster amid 71-point explosion</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-02-26T21:02:16-08:00">February 26th, 9:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-02-26T21:03:42-08:00">February 26th, 9:03pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>A Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, Rex claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>To say that Damian Lillard put together a masterful performance <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/damian-lillards-impossible-stat-line-has-fans-clamoring-for-90" rel="noopener">Sunday night</a> against the Houston Rockets would be to undersell what he just did to Jabari Smith Jr. and company. The Portland Trail Blazers superstar point guard blasted the Rockets for a ridiculous total of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-lebron-james-amazing-1-emoji-reaction-to-damian-lillards-71-point-explosion" rel="noopener">71 points</a> in leading his team to a 131-114 victory at home.</p><p>Damian Lillard made it rain nonstop from around the perimeter from the beginning to the end of the contest, but he also made sure to score tough and highlight-worthy buckets while attacking the rim in between his barrage of 3-pointers. Take for example this dunk in the fourth quarter in which he put Smith on a poster.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">DAMIAN LILLARD HAS 61 POINTS AND DUNKING ON PEOPLE 😱 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a>) <a href="https://t.co/x0Ovjnt2yG">pic.twitter.com/x0Ovjnt2yG</a></p><p>— Overtime (@overtime) <a href="https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1630059431613415428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Damian Lillard drained 22 of his 38 attempts from the floor. He also sank 13 triples on 22 attempts from deep, while going a perfect 14-for-14 from the foul line. His efficiency in producing all those points made the night even more special for Lillard and everyone who witnessed him roast Houston’s defense.</p><p>While the Rockets are indeed one of the <a href="https://dunksandthrees.com/" rel="noopener">worst defensive teams</a> in the NBA and amid the torrent of high-scoring performances across the league this season, scoring over 70 points in a single game in the league is still considered a remarkable achievement, to say the least.</p><p>Lillard finished with more points than all of the Rockets starters combined (67) and nearly had double the total 3-pointers of Houston, which only went 7-for-26 from behind the arc.</p><p>With Damian Lillard going nuclear, the Blazers managed to stop a two-game skid and improve their record to 29-31.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Damian Lillard puts Jabari Smith Jr. on a poster amid 71-point explosion

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-michael-jordan-called-out-by-rockets-jabari-smith-jr');   ga('set', 'title', '‘I’m beating you 1-on-1′: Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. ain’t sweating Michael Jordan’s game amid 60th birthday');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/I_m-beating-you-1-on-1_-Jabari-Smith-Jr.-ain_t-sweating-Michael-Jordan_s-game-amid-60th-birthday.jpg"></figure><h1>‘I’m beating you 1-on-1′: Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. ain’t sweating Michael Jordan’s game amid 60th birthday</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-02-17T16:29:29-08:00">February 17th, 4:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-02-17T16:32:22-08:00">February 17th, 4:32pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a>A father of two over-energetic boys, Pao has been a writer for ClutchPoints for many years. His passion lies in all things NBA and he has a knack for speaking his mind in his articles -- even when at times it gets him into trouble with the fans. Controversial? Maybe. Excellent writer? Definitely.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Friday, February 17th marks the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-iconic-michael-jordan-kobe-bryant-all-star-game-viral-video-resurfaces-amid-mjs-birthday" rel="noopener">60th birthday</a> of the greatest to ever do it. Michael Jordan officially turns into a senior citizen today, and Houston Rockets rookie <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-reveals-all-star-3-point-contest-wants-participate-most" rel="noopener">Jabair Smith Jr.</a> has a savage message for the Chicago Bulls legend.</p><p>Smith, who is set to take part in the NBA All-Star weekend’s Rising Stars tournament, just learned about MJ’s recent milestone. The confident 19-year-old was then asked if he believed he could take on the great Michael Jordan in a game of 1-on-1. Smith pretty much scoffed at the question as he gave a brutally honest response:</p><p>“How old is he?” Smith asked. “He’s not beating me right now, no. I’m gonna beat him.”</p><p>To be fair, Smith sent a birthday greeting to the GOAT upon realizing that today was his special day. The Rockets stud then followed it up with an even more savage statement:</p><p>“Happy birthday, MJ,” he continued. “<a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1626730597082185730" rel="noopener">I’m beating you</a> in 1-on-1 right now. For sure. A thousand percent.</p><p>“He might make something … He not beating me for sure. If a 60-year-old beat me, I need to hang it up.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jabari Smith Jr.: "[Michael Jordan is] not beating me right now."</p><p>Reporter: "He's 60. Today's his birthday."</p><p>JS: "Okay, Happy Birthday MJ. I'm beating you in 1-on-1 right now."</p><p>R: "Is he getting any buckets on you to 11?"</p><p>JS: "Might make something."<a href="https://t.co/Pvr5j8nOSJ">pic.twitter.com/Pvr5j8nOSJ</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1626730597082185730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>One thing you can say for sure is that Jabari Smith Jr. is not short on confidence. After all, he was selected as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft for a reason. He isn’t exactly a frontrunner for this season’s Rookie of the Year title, but there’s no denying that this young man possesses a ton of untapped potential.</p><p>In his mind, Smith has no doubt that he can take on Michael Jordan in a game of 1-on-1 today. He obviously made that abundantly clear. So much so, that he’s even willing to put his career on the line to prove his point.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
12.2	7.0	1.1	0.7	0.4

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
12.2	7.0	1.1	0.7	0.4

Jabari Smith news

Jabari
Smith news