Jabari Smith's Rockets defeat Chet Holmgren's Thunder 90-88

The Houston Rockets recorded their first victory of the NBA Summer League tournament in a win against the Thunder on Saturday.

LAS VEGAS — Tari Eason continues to make the most of his opportunity during the 2022 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Eason finished the game with 13 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and a block. His on-court production led to the Houston Rockets recording their first victory of summer league play in a 90-88 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder Saturday evening, inside the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Following the Rockets' loss to the Orlando Magic Thursday night, coach Rick Higgins spoke highly of Eason's on-court energy, an attribute he replicated against the Thunder. 

Jabari Smith Jr. had a rough night shooting the ball but found ways to impact the game beyond his scoring. 

He pulled down nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks. One of Smith's rejections came against Chet Holmgren. He finished the game with 12 points.

The Rockets led the Thunder 45-40 at the half. Josh Christopher scored a team-high 19 points. 

Given the headline featuring the No. 2 and No. 3 selections of the 2022 NBA Draft, Holmgren's night mirrored Smith.

Holmgren failed to score 20 or more points for the second consecutive game but managed to leave an impact on the court. He finished the evening with 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. 

Second-year prospect Josh Giddey notched 14 points, four rebounds and eight assists.

Following the win, the Rockets will return to play Monday afternoon against the San Antonio Spurs. Tip-off is slated for 5 P.M. CT inside the Thomas & Mack Center.  

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