Rockets’ Tari Eason scores 45 points in Drew League Summer League game

Tari Eason continues to show his full health after a lackluster sophomore season with the Houston Rockets. In his second Drew League appearance Saturday night, Eason put on a show, scoring a game-high 45 points on 20-of-32 shooting. In addition to his points, Eason added 10 rebounds and three blocks to lead his team to a victory.

The 2023-24 season was a difficult one for Eason. On October 10, he suffered a leg injury in the Rockets’ preseason opener against the Indiana Pacers, resulting in an injury that ended his sophomore season.

“When the game is taken away from you, you start to put things into perspective,” Eason said in March. “Even though I’m injured and mentally tough, I’m still in the best financial position I’ve ever been in. I’m taking care of my mom, my brother and my grandmother. I’m doing everything I wanted to do outside of basketball as a kid.”

Eason missed the first 12 games. After his return, he played through severe pain before the Rockets decided to release him after their 23-point win over the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 1. In 22 games played, Eason averaged 9.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals.

“I’m not a complainer, but it wasn’t good,” Eason said. “I love basketball. It’s my favorite thing to do. It’s hard to walk away from the game, injured or not.”

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