Jabari Smith returned to Atlanta for his NBA debut, but his Houston Rockets lost to the Hawks 117-107 on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena.
Smith, the third pick in the 2022 NBA draft, started at power forward and matched up against John Collins in a physical contest. The rookie showed he was not going to back down from the veteran Collins.
A former player at Sandy Creek High School, Smith finished with 17 points and seven rebounds and no turnovers.
Smith’s night picked up as he subbed back in during the second quarter, showing his playmaking potential after a quiet first quarter.
His confidence picked up after draining a pair free throws off of a foul by Collins with 8:52 left in the half. From there, Smith recorded his first official points as an NBA player with a pull-up 3-point shot at the 8:32 mark and added to his scoring outburst with an offensive rebound and a layup that forced the Hawks to interrupt his flow by calling a timeout with 7:27 remaining in the half. Within the eighth minute, Smith scored had eight of his 17 points.
Sometimes there can be extra pressure until the first shot falls, and Smith finally was able to exhale after making that first 3-pointer.
“It felt good,” Smith said about his first NBA points. “I stepped right into it and when it went in, I felt like, I’m finally here. It was a special moment.”
Drafted in part for his potential as a 3-point shooter, with good rebounding skills and a growing mid-range shot, Smith showed some of those skills, with room to improve. He shot 6-of-17 overall and 3-of-11 on 3-pointers.
One area of the game that did not go well would be the personal fouls that Smith picked up. His four fouls tied him for the most among the Rockets. They were the products of battling for rebounds and trying his best to stick with Collins, though consistent trouble would be an issue going forward.
While it was an up-and-down debut for Smith, Rockets coach Stephen Silas praised Smith’s performance.
“I was proud of him,” Silas said. “He was aggressive tonight. He didn’t seem scared at all. It was his first opportunity to be in an NBA game at home. He went out here and competed.”
For Smith, his homecoming did not end with a victory for his team, but he still was able to enjoy the night.
“I had to really make sure it was real then took a moment to thank God,” Smith said, “because a lot of people don’t get to open up in their hometown with 50-plus family members here, so it’s a blessing.”
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