Jones entered the game with 91 total minutes over played 12 games this season, including only three in which he played more than 12 minutes.
Houston coach Kevin McHale said Jones had a good practice Tuesday, so he decided to reward the athletic forward with playing time, which led to 29 minutes.
"What can you say?" Lin said. "You're a rookie and you go to D-League 10 times. You don't play at all and you come off the bench with a double-double and a huge road win. That has to feel great. I couldn't be happier for stories and people like that because you spend months and months waiting for your turn, and he really capitalized tonight."