NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
HOUSTON (AP) — Jabari Smith Jr., forward for the Houston Rockets, made his comeback on Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves after being sidelined for 22 games due to a fracture in his left hand.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka opted to bring Smith off the bench, where he played for 38 minutes in a 121-115 victory. The third-year player contributed 15 points (hitting 4 of 6 from beyond the arc) and grabbed nine rebounds before fouling out.
“I was just incorporating a bit of everything,” Udoka commented. “We’re gently reintroducing him back into the lineup—not necessarily for conditioning purposes— and we’ll see how he performs as we look ahead.”
Smith sustained a fracture in one of the metacarpal bones in his hand during a shootaround on January 3. During his absence, the Rockets posted a 12-10 record.
Amen Thompson filled in effectively, starting 20 out of the 22 games Smith missed, and earned the title of the Western Conference’s defensive player of the month in January.
Prior to his injury, Smith had started every game this season, averaging 11.9 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Fred VanVleet was absent for his eighth consecutive game on Friday due to a strained right ankle.
For the Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert sat out his second game in a row due to lower back spasms, but Mike Conley was expected to return after missing four games with a sprained right index finger, as confirmed by Timberwolves coach Chris Finch.
