Five days after a maddening loss at Denver, Houston got its revenge on Saturday afternoon. Reed Sheppard’s dynamic bench showing (28 points, 6 assists, 3 steals) helped turn the tide.
Five days after a frustrating and conversial loss to the Nuggets, the Rockets returned to Denver and got some revenge in Saturday’s 115-101 victory (box score).
Second-year guard Reed Sheppard was electric off the bench for Houston, finishing with 28 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks while making 9-of-15 shots (60.0%) and 6-of-9 from 3-point range (66.7%).
Defensively, after a sluggish showing in recent games, the Rockets (17-8) held the Nuggets (20-7) to their lowest points total of the 2025-26 season. In a matchup of perceived Western Conference and NBA title contenders, it was perhaps Houston’s most encouraging win of the season to date.
“The effort and energy was great from the beginning,” Sheppard said postgame (via Space City Home Network).
Other noteworthy statistical lines included:
Kevin Durant: 31 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists; 8-of-14 shooting (57.1%), 5-of-6 on 3-pointers (83.3%), 10-of-11 on free throws (90.9%)Jabari Smith Jr.: 22 points, 10 rebounds; 8-of-14 shooting (57.1%), 5-of-11 on 3-pointers (45.5%)Steven Adams: 12 rebounds (5 offensive) in 25 minutesNikola Jokic (Nuggets): 25 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 turnovers; 9-of-20 shooting (45.0%)Jamal Murray: 16 points, 7 assists; 4-of-13 shooting (30.8%)
Next up for the Rockets is part two of a back-to-back, which takes place at Sacramento on Sunday night. Tipoff is at 9:00 p.m. Central, and the game will be televised regionally on Space City Home Network (SCHN) and nationally via NBA League Pass.
On paper, the Kings (6-21) should be no match for the Rockets. Yet, the Rockets are 0-2 on the second day of back-to-backs this season, and the two previous losses came versus teams with records that aren’t much better — the Utah Jazz (10-16) and Dallas Mavericks (11-17).
Expect head coach Ime Udoka to remind his team of those games in the hours leading off to Sunday’s tipoff.