“He was the reason why we won this game,” Kevin Durant says of Reed Sheppard (after Houston’s victory at Milwaukee). “Reed was incredible tonight. He got us going.”
It was a very encouraging weekend for young point guard Reed Sheppard, who is now in his second season with the Rockets.
In a pair of competitive road games versus tough opponents in San Antonio and Milwaukee, Sheppard was a clear standout off Houston’s bench.
The 21-year-old Kentucky product averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 steals in 27.5 minutes per game, all while shooting 60.0% from the field and a blistering 61.5% on 3-pointers.
One person who took notice was Sheppard’s All-Star teammate, Kevin Durant.
After Sunday’s come-from-behind victory over the Bucks (6-4), the future Hall of Famer said of Sheppard (via Vanessa Richardson, Space City Home Network):
Reed was incredible tonight. He was huge. He got us going.
He was the reason why we won this game. That backtap to get the steal and then hit the 3 in the corner… I think that’s what got us going, and it put a little bit of fear in their hearts, as well. Because they had some momentum, and I think that changed the momentum for us.
Reed is going to be that spark plug that we need, and tonight was one of those nights.
To say the least, that’s a strong endorsement for the No. 3 overall draft pick from the NBA’s 2024 first round. Later in the evening, Durant posted a picture of Sheppard to his Instagram page.
Sheppard and the Rockets (6-3) will look to build on their recent momentum when they host the struggling Washington Wizards (1-9) on Wednesday night. Tipoff from Houston’s Toyota Center, where the home team is beginning a three-game homestand, is at 7:00 p.m. Central.
That Rockets-Wizards game will be televised regionally on Space City Home Network and nationally via NBA League Pass.