Jabari Smith Jr.

In the present tense, Jabari Smith’s catch-and-shoot accuracy on November 15, 2024 might be described as remarkable; in the past tense, it could be said that the Houston Rockets’ third-year forward “caught fire.” Regardless of one’s wording preference, the scoreboard confirmed one thing: a momentum-building NBA Cup victory for one of the Western Conference’s forces of the future. Coordinating the game-changing run through one of the great one-quarter stretches of his burgeoning career, Smith, showcasing court IQ through a well-timed perimeter lift after the L.A. Clippers load the paint, buries a trifecta to the Rockets’ already-imposing lead. En fuego before halftime, Smith — through a 14-point, four-triple, +19 plus-minus in the second quarter alone — delivered the goods required to help Houston open the In-Season Tournament with both style and a smile. Liberated from his brief offensive slump, Smith selected a perfect time for his season’s most productive game to date, raining in 28 points (on 11-of-17 shooting), paired with 11 rebounds, one assist, two steals, and five 3-pointers.