'He's 6'11 With A Beautiful Shot': Jabari Smith Jr. Breaks From Shooting Slump In Rockets Loss To Warriors

By leaning on the support of his coaching staff and teammates, Jabari Smith Jr. broke free of his offensive slump in Houston Rockets' loss to the Warriors.

HOUSTON — Jabari Smith Jr. scored a career-best 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting during the Houston Rockets' 127-120 loss to the Golden State Warriors Sunday night. 

"It was the same type of flow, but it was all him," Kevin Porter Jr. said. "He was more aggressive. He trusted his shot. He is 6'11 with a beautiful shot. It's my job to make sure he's aggressive because he is a big threat offensively. The more he can be a threat, the easier it will be on the team."

With a free mindset, Smith said after the game he felt his energy was up for the first time in weeks and credited his teammates for keeping him involved in the offense. The game marked the second time since Oct. 24 that Smith made five or more shots, as the rookie had fallen into an offensive slump.

Smith came into the contest averaging 8.4 points on 28.8 percent shooting from the field, 26.8 percent from behind the arc, over the previous 11 games.

Coach Stephen Silas did not lose faith in Smith. He said he kept Smith's confidence up by relying on the experience that helped Jalen Green withstand his rookie struggles a season before. 

But as a veteran who has stepped up as one of the Rockets' team leaders, Porter said he consistently shared advice to help Smith break free of his offensive struggles.

"I told him to expect these feelings and moments because it is a long season," Porter said. "There are going to be times when you will feel abnormal when shots are not going in. But in reality, you know the work you put in to get here. Keeping him in a mindset to trust the work he has put in to get here."

The loss against the Warriors marked the second time this season the Rockets benefited from the talents that made Smith an SEC Freshman of the Year winner during his freshman campaign at Auburn.  

After helping Smith break free of his offensive struggles, the Rockets have emphasized the importance of making his contributions against the Warriors consistent moving forward.

"He was aggressive, and he received opportunities," Silas said. "For us to keep progressing, we are going to need his progress. [This game] was a good step for him." 

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