Tari Eason Is Back to Playing Like Tari Eason at the Perfect Time

When the Houston Rockets traded for Kevin Durant this offseason, expectations shifted dramatically. Last season's feel-good story transformed into championship hopes.

Even with the arrival of one of the best players in the NBA, the Rockets, with expectations higher than they've been since James Harden's prime years with the Rockets, knew that everyone around Durant would have to step into larger, more defined roles. For example, Fred VanVleet’s injury meant other players would need to take on additional responsibilities, like ball-handling and leadership.

Players like Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson would need to elevate their games as they, along with Durant, are the Rockets' three best players. Jabari Smith and Reed Sheppard would also need to improve on last season.

Another player who would have to step up and impact the game was Tari Eason. Eason, from the time he entered the NBA, was the Rocket who would come in and change the game with his hustle and energy on both ends of the court.

A perfect example of this was in a game against the Golden State Warriors on November 2nd 2024. The Rockets trailed by as many as 31 points in the first half in a game that looked like it was going to be another embarrassing loss to the Warriors.

That is when Eason stepped up and had one of the best games of his career. Eason scored 10 of his career-high 27 points in the frantic fourth quarter that saw Eason fly all around the court, coming up with steals and offensive rebounds as he helped the Rockets force an improbable overtime.

Even though the Rockets lost in overtime, it was the kind of game that showed Eason's impact goes well beyond what you see in the box score. His energy alone can help ignite the Rockets when he's on the court.

That was never more evident than at the start of the 2025-26 season. The Rockets got off to one of the best starts in franchise history, rebounding quickly after an opening-night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and starting the season 15-5 in their first 20 games.

A big reason for that is, of course, the play of Sengun and Durant, as well as players like Eason, who had the best shooting season of his young career. Eason started the season on fire from 3-point range, bringing his usual tough defense and making game-changing plays.

Eason led the NBA in 3-point shooting to start the season, shooting 47 percent in his first 30 games. However, just like the Rockets as a whole, his shooting started to show cracks, and starting in February, it completely took a nosedive.

March was Eason's worst shooting month of the season as he started the month 1-28 from beyond the arc, which led Ime Udoka to change up the starting lineup, putting Sheppard in for Eason. However, Eason did not let the worst shooting slump of his career derail his entire season. Eason has not only broken out of that slump, but he has gotten back to what makes him so important to the Rockets' success.

Tari Eason Has Gotten Back to What Makes Him a Vital Part of the Houston Rockets

The Rockets are on a season-long eight-game winning streak that started right after their worst loss of the season in Minnesota against the Timberwolves. During that winning streak, Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun have done what they have done for most of the season: lead the team in most categories.

Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith have both stood out throughout the winning streak like they have most of the season, but Tari Eason's energy and effort off the bench, along with scoring punch, have been a major reason for the Rockets' long winning streak.

After Eason scored 15 points in the Rockets' win over the Philadelphia 76ers, he has scored 15+ points in five of the last eight games. In his previous 21 games, Eason hadn't scored more than 13 points in a game.

Of course, it isn't just about scoring when it comes to Eason. The chaotic energy he brings to the game, disrupting opposing offenses and outhustling everyone on the court and boards, has been just as important recently as his scoring.

Eason is one of those players who affect a game as soon as he hits the court, in a way that does not always show up in the box score. From his tough-nosed defense to diving on the floor or mixing it up in the paint in the last eight games, Eason has gotten back to what makes him a vital part of the Rockets' hopes for a championship this season.