NBA: Jabari Smith Jr. puts up 31 as Rockets rumble past Jazz

Houston Rockets star Jabari Smith Jr. scored a game-high 31 points, while Kevin Durant and Tari Eason added double-doubles as Houston defeated the visiting Utah Jazz 125-105 on Monday.

Smith shot 12 of 17 from the field, including six 3-pointers, and grabbed nine rebounds to spark the Rockets, who have won four of their last six games. Durant contributed 18 points and a season-high 12 assists, while Eason finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Amen Thompson added 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting and collected seven rebounds, helping Houston dominate the glass with a +16 margin. Alperen Sengun flirted with a triple-double, recording 16 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Reed Sheppard came off the bench to score 15 points on five 3-pointers.

For Utah, Lauri Markkanen led the team with 29 points but struggled from long range, missing nine of 10 3-point attempts. Brice Sensabaugh added 26 points, including four 3-pointers, as the Jazz dropped their third consecutive game. Utah played without Keyonte George, their second-leading scorer, due to an ankle injury.

After falling behind early due to turnovers, the Rockets surged behind Smith’s hot shooting. Utah initially led 9-6, but Smith scored 14 first-quarter points, hitting four 3-pointers and a fastbreak dunk to give Houston a 38-22 lead after the period. Durant and Sheppard also connected on multiple 3-pointers in the opening quarter.

The Rockets cooled from deep in the second quarter but scored 26 points in the paint. Utah briefly cut the lead to 40-35 with a 13-2 run, but Houston responded with fastbreak points, fueled by Durant’s six assists in the quarter. Thompson added a floater off a Sengun screen to make it 58-37, and Houston went into halftime ahead 68-47.

Smith extended the lead to 86-56 on a fadeaway jumper in the third quarter. Houston eventually led by as many as 33 points, though the Jazz converted 27 Rockets turnovers into 34 points.

-Field Level Media/Reuters