Jabari Smith Jr. on Tari Eason’s relentless hustle

Tari Eason of the Houston Rockets made a major impact in Game 4, putting up 20 points while applying constant defensive pressure on LeBron James, who was limited to just 10 points and committed eight turnovers.

His energy and instincts stood out, especially in hustle plays and loose-ball situations, something his teammate Jabari Smith Jr. has come to expect.

“He’s just always flying around,” fellow forward Jabari Smith Jr. said, per Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle.

“He always ends up coming up with a loose ball that just randomly seems like it just sticks to his hand. I’m used to it by now.”

Eason’s strong play comes at an important time, as he’s set to become a restricted free agent after the season.

Meanwhile, Smith expressed strong belief in the Houston Rockets, saying the Game 4 performance reflects their true level rather than a one-off result.

He emphasized that, in his view, Houston has the edge over the Los Angeles Lakers across the board.

“We’re obviously the better team, I feel,” he told Shankar at the team’s Tuesday practice.

Smith went on to say that Houston is better than the Lakers “from top to bottom.”