Good luck grabbing a defensive rebound when Tari Eason is in the lane. The Houston Rockets rookie forward was relentless in his drive for the ball, grabbing five offensive boards in the span of nine seconds when his point-blank looks continued to rim out. Eason’s persistence paid off as he outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder defense and finally got a layup to fall. In just 19 minutes off the bench, the 17th overall pick poured in 20 points while adding 13 rebounds — 12 on the offensive glass — three steals and two blocks as he helped the Rockets prevail 112-106 on February 1, 2023. The All-Rookie Second Team selection played in all of Houston’s 82 games, averaging 9.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. · Feb 2, 2023