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LAS VEGAS — Jabari Smith Jr.’s game-winner Friday night was charged with a rare electricity. Six-tenths of a second remained. Houston was down two. The Thomas & Mack Center, stuffed like a blouse on The Strip, percolated as the fans stood.

The Rockets’ second-year forward snagged a Hail Mary of an inbounds pass out of the air, turned and fired, drilling a 3-pointer to give Houston the victory. He’d hit a game-winner before — against visiting New Orleans, before some 15,000 fans at the Toyota Center in March, hit a pull-up 3 from the right wing with 0.4 left to beat the Pelicans in a regular season game. A highlight of his rookie season, for sure. But it was nothing like this.

When it splashed after the horn sounded, the crowd of nearly 20,000 erupted. Smith basked in the moment by running to the opposite end of the floor, chased by his teammates.

And the luster of Victor Wembanyama had its first highlight.

Smith’s first buzzer-beater as a pro had a special feel to it because it hap