HOUSTON — Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. returned to action Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing 22 games with a broken left hand.
Smith, normally a starter, entered the game off the bench early in the first quarter. Head coach Ime Udoka said this was due in part to the possibility of not having some players Saturday night in Utah as the Rockets play back-to-back games.
“It was just a little bit of everything,” Udoka said before the game. “Easing him back into it a little bit, not really conditioning wise, but we will see how he looks in this game and then everything is kind of open moving forward.”
Smith broke a metacarpal bone in the hand during the team’s shootaround on Jan. 3. The Rockets went 12-10 with Smith out.
Amen Thompson started 20 of the 22 games during Smith’s absence and was selected the Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month in January.
Smith started every game this season before the injury, averaging 11.9 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Fred VanVleet missed his eighth straight game Friday with a strained right ankle.
Rudy Gobert missed his second straight game with lower back spasms Friday night for Minnesota. But Mike Conley returned after missing four games with a sprained right index finger.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.