On Monday night, the Houston Rockets faced off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a game that saw positive development from one of the team’s emerging youngsters.
In his first career start, Rockets’ rookie guard Reed Sheppard put up 25 points, five assists, two rebounds and two steals. He shot 10-of-17 from the field (2-of-2 from three-point range) and was the team’s second-leading scorer (behind Cam Whitmore, who had 27).
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Calling the Rockets’ roster undermanned would be an understatement. The team was missing three of its five current starters—with Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks all sitting out with minor injuries. Steven Adams, who provides important minutes off the bench, was also unavailable.
Due to these circumstances, bench players were thrust into the starting lineup. Sheppard, the third overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft, was included in this shift. The rookie has struggled to find consistent time on the floor during his first season in the association, leading him to have a stint in the NBA G League earlier this year.
At the risk of putting a damper on Reed’s night, it was a losing effort. Despite a competitive first half that led the Rockets to only be down 63-62 at the half, the Thunder pulled away in the second half and walked away with a 137-128 victory. Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s top scorer, finished with 51 points in a box score-stuffing offensive explosion.
Even with the loss, Sheppard’s first start was a long time coming, and he’ll be a name to keep an eye on down the stretch for Houston this season.
