HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- Jabari Smith Jr waited at the top of the three-point arc clapping his hands or waiving them in the air, hoping a teammate would spot him.
After what felt like an eternity, but was really only six seconds, Amen Thompson found a wide open Smith, who launched a three-pointer over the out-stretched hand of Nickeil Alexander-Walker that found the bottom of the net.
It was Smith’s first shot attempt since January 1 after a fractured fourth metacarpal on his left hand forced him to miss the previous 22 games, and his return helped the Rockets to a 121-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Felt great to be back there with my brothers,” Smith said after scoring 15 points in 30 minutes. “Felt great, little tired, but I felt good, though.”
The win puts the Rockets a full game up on the Lakers for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, and increases their lead over the seventh seeded Wolves to five games in the loss column.
The 30 minutes Smith played in his return was more than expected due to Rockets foul trouble and Minnesota playing without center Rudy Gobert, but the nature of Smith’s injury allowed him to keep his conditioning where it needed to be.
“He looked lively,” Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said.
Smith finished the game 5-of-9 from the field while connecting on four of his six attempts from long distance. Having a broken hand might’ve enabled him to stay in basketball shape, but it did not allow him to shoot a basketball for more than a month. Still, Smith was not surprised his shot fell at a high rate in his first game back.
“That ain't ever gonna go nowhere, as long as I'm on this earth,” Smith said with a big smile. “I promise you that.”
After starting the first 188 games of his NBA career, Smith came off the bench Friday night, marking the first time he did not start a game he played in since his freshman year at Sandy Creek High School. While Smith maintained he doesn’t care if he starts, he did admit Friday was a little weird.
"It was different, as far as routine wise," Smith said. "After the anthem it was like I was just floating around not really knowing what to do, but when you get in the game it doesn’t really matter, honestly."
Houston played to a 12-10 record in the 22 games Smith missed after starting the season 22-11 with Smith in uniform.
“It was amazing (having Smith back),” Rockets center Alperen Sengun said. “He helped us a lot offensively, defensively, and rebounding everywhere, making shots. We just missed him. He came back great today.”