The last match of Tari Eason dated December 14, 2024, during the NBA Cup semi-final against the Thunder. Since then, he had been stuck in the infirmary and knew that his return would take place during the Rockets' three-game road trip. He had missed the victory in Denver, so it was for the trip to Sacramento.
“Amen Thompson asked me before the meeting if I was ready or not. I still follow it to play basketball”, he saidafter missing 13 matches in a row. “We lost, so that upsets me, but I'm lucky to be back. »
The Kings indeed won this match, in which Tari Eason put in a good performance with 16 points at 6/10 on the shoot, including nine scored in the third quarter, in 25 minutes.
A consequence of his operation last year
But why was the player sidelined for so long? He underwent surgery in March 2024 on his left leg. During the procedure, a metal rod was inserted into his tibia to help it heal. Last month, during the rest days following the NBA Cup, he suffered from irritation.
“It’s impossible for it to break, it’s made of titanium,” he confirms on the shaft of his shin. “So it’s a question of management. I spoke to Jrue Holiday who missed the second half of the season (2014/15) following this operation. I didn't want to miss matches, it wasn't ideal, but I had to go through that after a first big operation. »
Very good off the bench, with his defensive activity, Tari Eason returns at the right time since the Rockets have been without Jabari Smith Jr. for a few days and again for a while, the latter having broken his left hand.
“He will find his rhythm again over time. We saw it in the second half”notes Ime Udoka. “He missed easy things, was less good defensively at the start, but he moved up a notch to get back to where he was before, with big offensive rebounds, shots and an interception. He did his job. »
| Tari Eason | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | HOU | 82 | 22 | 44.8 | 34.3 | 75.2 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 6.0 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 9.3 |
| 2023-24 | HOU | 22 | 22 | 46.6 | 36.0 | 63.6 | 2.1 | 4.9 | 7.0 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 9.8 |
| 2024-25 | HOU | 25 | 23 | 48.1 | 31.2 | 74.1 | 2.1 | 4.1 | 6.2 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 11.4 |
| Total | 129 | 22 | 45.8 | 33.8 | 73.3 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 6.2 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 9.8 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
