In late March, with her son mired in a career-worst shooting slump, Teroya Eason called out for help. 

Eason, the mother of Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason, responded to a tweet from renowned shooting coach Chris Matthews, known as Lethal Shooter, after Tari missed 23 consecutive three-point attempts. Teroya’s message was brief. 

“When you gonna be in Houston?” Teroya asked. “I might need a favor brother.”

It appears as though the favor was fulfilled.

Matthews released a video on Monday night showcasing Eason making a series of open three-point shots during a workout at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Throughout the video, Matthews offered words of encouragement, expressing his satisfaction with Eason’s smooth shooting form as he took shots from both the left and right wings. 

Chron could not confirm when Eason met with Matthews, though Matthews shared a video from the same Loyola Marymount court (and with the same assistant rebounding) on April 20. The Rockets faced the Lakers in Los Angeles for Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series on April 18, and they returned to Los Angeles on April 21. Eason presumably worked with Matthews between Game 1 and Game 2, hoping to find the proper rhythm from beyond the arc.

“I never take it lightly when a player trust me with their game. Tari is committed to his game. It’s a honor to train him,” Matthews said Monday on X.

The work with Matthews didn’t exactly help in Game 2 or Game 3, when Eason shot a combined 3-for-10 from three and 6-for-23 from the field. But the tide turned for Eason in Game 4. He scored 20 points in a must-win Game 4, making 7-of-10 shot attempts and 2-of-5 three-pointers. Eason also brought a swagger and confidence not totally present in the series’ first three games, trash-talking both the Lakers’ bench and their leading man, LeBron James. 

Eason said postgame Sunday he views his energy and effort as “infectious,” to the young Rockets. So was his strong shooting in Game 4, in which Houston made 12 threes, including four from second-year guard Reed Sheppard. 

“I came in smiling and just with a light heart,” Eason said late Sunday night regarding his attitude before Game 4. “Every game, every day is another opportunity.”

Eason’s performance in Game 4 was critical in saving the Rockets from a series sweep. He’ll now return to Los Angeles for Game 5 on Friday, looking to once again employ Matthews’ teachings with the season on the line.