Rockets' Ime Udoka Breaks Down Jabari Smith Jr.'s Performance vs. Pacers

Houston's head coach had high praise for the forward after dropping a 21-point double-double against Indiana.

Dec 29, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) knocks the ball away from Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) in the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are back on track with a three-game winning streak to end 2025. After a month of hoops that saw a major rough patch, they managed to end on a high note with a stretch of impressive basketball from Christmas Day to now.

Most recently, Houston picked up a 126-119 win over the lowly Indiana Pacers on Monday night. The score was a lot closer than the game actually entailed, being that the Rockets were up by as many as 28 points at one point. A sloppy fourth quarter half saw Indiana outscore them 41-21, but the insurance built through the first 36 minutes helped.

While Kevin Durant posted his second straight 30-point game, to go along with six rebounds and five assists, Jabari Smith Jr. was the next Rocket to step up with Alperen Sengun (calf) sidelined for the second game in a row.

Smith put up 21 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, recording his seventh double-double of the season. The 6-foot-11 forward is now averaging 15.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game on a career-high 46.2% shooting from the field and 38.4% from three.

Smith was a force in the paint, grabbing boards and protecting the rim with Steven Adams (ankle) leaving the game early.

On the offensive end, the 22-year-old was able to stretch the floor with three makes from beyond the arc, something he has done so well this season. Despite his height, he has become somewhat of a corner sniper, shooting 27-for-66 (40.9%) on such attempts.

After the game, head coach Ime Udoka talked about Smith's performance. He noted how aggressive he was in all aspects of the game.

"He was great, he picked his spots when he got the shots," Udoka said. "He's going to take those all the time, but [the Pacers] got their two main guys on Amen [Thompson] and Kevin [Durant] for the most part, and he was able to free up a little up and take advantage of some matchups."

"[He] went to the iso post-ups when he had them, and then the offensive rebounds were great. That energy and effort from him, it rubs off on the group."

The Rockets will close out December having gone 7-6, while they're 20-10 overall. Smith has become a reliable third or fourth option for Houston's offense, consistently hitting shots and playing solid defense on the other end. He has so much versatility and potential as a near-seven-footer with range, and his game should only grow from here.