Jabari Smith Jr. Outduels Kevin Durant in Rockets' Victory Over Suns
HOUSTON — For Houston Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr., playing against Phoenix Suns' Kevin Durant is a way for him to test his skill set against an all-time great. Friday night, amid the Rockets' 114-110 victory over the Suns, Smith's second career performance against the future Hall of Famer was a success.
"It's always fun — just how great his career has been," Smith said. "He has done so much for this game. It is always great playing against the greats. Trying to stop him and slowing him down. It's always fun."
Smith's performance against the Suns was the latest example of how his off-season training with Durant has been beneficial. He ended his rookie season determined to bring his game to a higher level as a sophomore. To help with his development, Smith spent time with Durant to assist in his off-season workouts.
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts and Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) celebrates with forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) after a play during the third quarter at Toyota Center.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
It was the first time Smith had a chance to speak to Durant. He used his time by picking Durant's mind, asking him questions about getting to his shots and how to execute plays with certain movements.
Durant's teachings backfired on the Suns. Smith overcame a horrific start and finished with 22 points on 6 of 18 shooting, 16 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. He became the second-youngest player in league history (20 years, 286 days) to post a similar stat line since LeBron James in 2005.
An assist by Jalen Green led to Smith drilling a 3-point field goal over the top of Durant at the 9:40 mark of the third quarter. With the game tied at 100 with 3:48 left in the fourth quarter, Smith drilled a 3-point field goal that gave the Rockets a late three-point advantage (103-100).
"It is always good to get in the gym with the younger guys," Durant said. "They see the game with a different perspective. I am asking the same stuff, I am still a student of the game, even though I've seen everything. We were just bouncing ideas off each other. I am glad to see them playing better than last year and taking that next step."
Smith's familiarity with Durant left coach Ime Udoka pleased with his defensive performance. However, with 11 points coming in the fourth quarter, Durant finished with a game-high 28 points on 45.5 percent shooting from the field. He also added 11 rebounds and eight assists in the loss.
Smith felt he did a solid job defending the former league MVP winner (2014). But as he continues to learn Durant's tendencies, Smith has received several first-hand looks into what has made the Suns' forward an all-time great.
Durant moved ahead of Carmelo Anthony for ninth on the NBA's All-Time Scoring list following his performance inside the Toyota Center.
"Somebody can tell you what he does or you can watch film all day, but you do not know what he does until you keep getting a feel for him," Smith said. "Learning what he does and what he likes to do, learning his weakness, if you can find one. Just trying to slow him down."
