Jabari Smith Jr., part of Houston’s young core that has the Rockets moving into second place in the Western Conference, will be out at least a month with a fractured hand, the team announced.
Smith fractured his non-shooting left hand in the shootout before the Boston game and it will require surgery, coach Ime Udoka told reporters. The duration of his absence will depend on the operation. Udoka said Smith will miss 4-6 weeks, but it could be a few more weeks, depending on the situation.
Smith had started every game for the Rockets at the four before Friday, averaging 11.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 35.4 percent from 3.
Smith is in his third NBA season and is eligible for an extension on his rookie contract this summer (although the Rockets could wait a year to talk about Smith’s next contract, depending on whether the sides can find a deal that works for them two) . Look for Tari Eason and Amen Thompson to get some more running four with Smith out.
