Despite not having Kevin Durant (personal), the Houston Rockets secured a 104-100 Cup victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, as Reed Sheppard put up his best performance of his budding NBA career.
The former third overall pick contributed 31 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and four three-pointers on 12-for-25 shooting from the field in 37 minutes of action, drawing praise from his colleagues.
“His first 30-point game, that’s a memorable moment, and hopefully he can hang that up somewhere,” Jae’Sean Tate said of Sheppard via Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle. “He’s going to have many more. That’s just the first of many.”
“His offense is there, but defensively is where he’s shown the most improvement overall,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “I think he’s taking on the challenge… He’s catching up with the physicality of the game. He’s doing a great job of that.”
Houston Rockets News: Reed Sheppard reacts to his breakout performance vs. Golden State Warriors
Reed Sheppard has been inserted into the starting five in place of Kevin Durant, and he has repaid the Houston Rockets’ trust. Over his past nine games, he’s averaging 17.7 points and shooting 46.9 percent from three-point range.
“Just going out there and playing free, loose, really comfortable out there,” Sheppard said. “My teammates and coaches are putting a lot of confidence in me, just telling me to keep being aggressive, keep making the right plays, so it’s been a lot of fun.”
“I feel a lot more comfortable. I feel a lot better,” he added. “There’s definitely a lot to work on, and we’ll keep learning and keep getting better and keep growing in that. But just going out and being a little more physical and trusting it.”
