<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-ime-udoka-secret-reed-sheppard-breakout');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Ime Udoka reveals biggest secret behind Reed Sheppard’s breakout isn’t his bucket-getting');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Rockets-HC-Ime-Udoka-talks-to-Reed-Sheppard-vs-Warriors-in-NBA-Cup.jpg"><figcaption>David Gonzales-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Ime Udoka reveals biggest secret behind Reed Sheppard’s breakout isn’t his bucket-getting</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-27T07:59:10-08:00">November 27th, 7:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-27T07:59:10-08:00">November 27th, 7:59am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-insider-highlights-kevin-durant-moment-helped-spark-reed-sheppards-breakout">Houston Rockets pushed deeper into the NBA Cup chase</a> on a night when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-reed-sheppard-career-high-houston-warriors">Reed Sheppard’s career-high became the clearest sign yet of his breakout</a> and shifted his team’s momentum. But Ime Udoka <a href="https://www.talkbasket.net/207075-ime-udoka-praises-rockets-depth-and-reed-sheppard-after-win-over-warriors" rel="noopener">insisted</a> the real story for the Rockets wasn’t the scoring. It was everything wrapped around it: the steadiness, the defense, and the way Sheppard held the game together when Houston needed a pulse.</p><p>Ime Udoka didn’t just praise the numbers; he praised the control that now shapes the Rockets’ backcourt. He highlighted <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-absence-reed-sheppard-silver-lining">Reed Sheppard’s jump from last season’s 4.4 points on 35.1 percent shooting to 14.3 points on 48.8 percent</a> and a scorching 45.5 percent from three. His 2.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 steals have nearly doubled across the board. Yet Udoka pushed attention toward the end that doesn’t always show up in the Rockets’ highlight reels. “Offensively he’s making shots, but defensively he’s shown the most improvement… taking on challenges and limiting blowbys,” Udoka said.</p><p>And then he made the part that mattered most unmistakable: “Reed really held us together when guys were struggling… his baskets were needed, especially early and late.”</p><h2>Udoka’s message to the Rockets after Sheppard’s NBA Cup career-high</h2><p>Ime Udoka used the night to highlight Houston’s identity. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-ime-udoka-snaps-reporter-kevin-durant">The Rockets were without Kevin Durant and Steven Adams</a>. Yet he praised a supporting cast that stepped into bigger roles. “Our depth is there… different guys coming in and contributing,” he said. He pointed to Clint Capela’s eight offensive rebounds and Aaron Holiday’s steady energy. The message was simple: Houston wins when every player leans into the work.</p><p>Reed Sheppard embraced that weight for the Rockets. The atmosphere felt heavier in NBA Cup play, but he didn’t shrink from it. He steadied possessions and pressured ballhandlers. He made timely reads that stalled Warriors runs. His impact carried a calmness that spread through the Rockets.</p><p>For a Rockets group trying to rise in the West, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-reed-sheppard-earns-massive-mark-price-compliment-from-bill-simmons">Reed Sheppard’s breakout feels less like a moment and more like a foundation</a>. It leaves fans wondering what comes next. If this is his breakout now, what does the next step look like under brighter lights?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Ime Udoka reveals biggest secret behind Reed Sheppard’s breakout isn’t his bucket-getting

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-insider-highlights-kevin-durant-moment-helped-spark-reed-sheppards-breakout');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Insider highlights Kevin Durant moment that helped spark Reed Sheppard’s breakout');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Sheppard.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Insider highlights Kevin Durant moment that helped spark Reed Sheppard’s breakout</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-27T07:14:43-08:00">November 27th, 7:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-27T07:14:43-08:00">November 27th, 7:14am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Insider highlights Kevin Durant moment that helped spark Reed Sheppard’s breakout

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-reed-sheppard-career-high-houston-warriors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Reed Sheppard’s career-high propels Houston past Warriors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Reed-Sheppards-career-high-propels-Houston-past-Warriors.jpg"><figcaption>David Gonzales-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Reed Sheppard’s career-high propels Houston past Warriors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-26T22:34:23-08:00">November 26th, 10:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-26T22:34:23-08:00">November 26th, 10:34pm</time><address><a>Allan Binoy</a>Allan Binoy is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NCAA Football, and NBA for ClutchPoints. With a deep passion for storytelling and analysis, he brings fans closer to the action by breaking down the biggest moments and storylines across the world of sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Reed Sheppard picked a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-absence-reed-sheppard-silver-lining">pretty good time to level up</a>. The Houston Rockets guard went off for a career-high 31 points, powering a 104-100 comeback win over the Golden State Warriors on the road in NBA Cup group play. He filled up the ESPN box score, too, adding nine rebounds and five assists as Houston erased a double-digit deficit and looked completely unfazed by the Chase Center crowd.  </p><p>It did not start pretty. The Houston Rockets trailed 59-47 at halftime and were down by as many as 14, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-miss-suns-warriors-games">still shorthanded without Kevin Durant</a> and Steven Adams. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-ime-udoka-snaps-reporter-kevin-durant">But Ime Udoka’s group</a> flipped the game after the break, winning the third quarter 27-17 and opening the fourth with a quick burst to finally grab the lead. From there, it felt like Reed Sheppard had his fingerprints on everything. Pull-up jumpers, pocket passes, and, eventually, game-sealing free throws.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-torches-cavs-historic-stat-line">Alperen Sengun quietly played</a> the perfect co-star. The center finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists, working as a high-post hub while the Rockets turned 16 Golden State turnovers into 22 points. Houston also owned a 53-47 edge on the glass, surviving a cold shooting night (39 percent from the field, 28 percent from three) by just generating more extra possessions via the ESPN Box Score.  </p><p>The Golden State Warriors got 21 points, five rebounds, and five assists from Jimmy Butler III, plus 18 points from rookie Will Richard and 14 from Stephen Curry, but never found a way to slow <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-reed-sheppard-earns-massive-mark-price-compliment-from-bill-simmons">Sheppard once he really got rolling</a>. Moses Moody’s three with six seconds left cut it to two, yet Reed Sheppard calmly buried both free throws to shut the door.  </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Reed Sheppard’s career-high propels Houston past Warriors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-absence-reed-sheppard-silver-lining');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kevin Durant’s Rockets absence brings Reed Sheppard silver lining after career game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Rockets-Reed-Sheppard.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kevin Durant’s Rockets absence brings Reed Sheppard silver lining after career game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-24T14:05:15-08:00">November 24th, 2:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-24T14:05:15-08:00">November 24th, 2:05pm</time><address><a>Luke Mauro</a>Luke Mauro is a sports journalist based in Houston who covers the Rockets for ClutchPoints. Luke has covered sports for nearly two decades, including the Rockets for the last three years. His life consists of sports, music and Seinfeld.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets will be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-miss-suns-warriors-games">without Kevin Durant for at least the next two games</a> due to a family matter. While losing your star is never ideal, it now opens a window for Reed Sheppard to step into a bigger role.</p><p>Sheppard, coming off the best game of his young career, is expected to make his first start of the season for Houston in Durant’s absence. And while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-reed-sheppard-earns-massive-mark-price-compliment-from-bill-simmons">Sheppard has had a great season so far</a>, it’s been off the bench, with the second unit, while playing less than half of the game.</p><p>Now is an opportunity for the Rockets to see if Sheppard is ready to handle more minutes and the spotlight. That is the ultimate goal for the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. After 66 career games, this could be his trial run to see if he can take on star-level responsibility.</p><p>Sheppard is currently averaging 13.6 points per game, while shooting 48.8% from three-point range. His confidence, which seems to grow with each outing, was on full display Friday night when he was mic’d up during his career-best performance against the Denver Nuggets.</p><p>The former Kentucky Wildcat scored 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including five triples.</p><h2><b>Reed Sheppard is staring at a big opportunity</b></h2><p>Durant often serves as a savior for the Rockets’ offense, which will now be without that safety blanket. Without him, there is an opportunity to see how Sheppard might fill the void of having one less initiator.</p><p>And the timing might be best, too, following his performance Friday.</p><p>“Just more scoring, and more pick-and-roll ball handling,” Nuggets head coach David Adelman said after the game. “A complete threat on the scouting report. It just adds another layer. I think all teams would love to have a guy like that who, at any moment, can get hot and flip a game. You have to guard him. He can get hot and hit five threes in a quarter. That’s what that kid can do.”</p><p>Sheppard has historically risen to the occasion when given more responsibility. He averaged 19.7 points in three starts last year. And, according to Cleaning The Glass, the Rockets are +33.9 in 65 possessions when Sheppard plays alongside Amen Thompson, Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun – four other starters. With Durant sidelined, now is the time to lean more into that potential as the natural step in Sheppard’s progression.</p><p>Sheppard credited Fred Van Vleet with helping unlock his big performance Friday. “Fred told me in one of the timeouts right before I went out, he was like ‘get in the middle of the pick and roll, come off and shoot the three’. Then just going out and doing that and seeing the first couple fall… my teammates put me in position to make some open shots,” Sheppard said.</p><p>Playing alongside Sengun could create more catch-and-shoot opportunities on kick-outs, while playing alongside Thompson could help the Rockets push the pace even more, leading to more opportunities for Sheppard in transition.</p><p>The time is now to see what Sheppard is truly capable of. Keeping him in the second unit for 23 minutes a game during his second season seems underwhelming – especially when the opportunity to shine has arrived.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kevin Durant’s Rockets absence brings Reed Sheppard silver lining after career game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-reed-sheppard-earns-massive-mark-price-compliment-from-bill-simmons');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Reed Sheppard earns massive Mark Price compliment from Bill Simmons');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Rockets-guard-Reed-Sheppard-15-reacts-after-scoring.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Reed Sheppard earns massive Mark Price compliment from Bill Simmons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-21T22:57:02-08:00">November 21st, 10:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-21T22:57:02-08:00">November 21st, 10:57pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-nikola-jokic-posterizes-alperen-sengun-and-jabari-smith-jr-with-surprise-slam">Houston Rockets may not have been able to overcome</a> the Denver Nuggets on Friday night in NBA Cup action, taking a 112-109 defeat, but there were a few positives for them to take away from that contest. One of those is the play of sophomore guard Reed Sheppard. With Houston in need of a perimeter shot-creator and a playmaker in the aftermath of Fred VanVleet’s season-ending injury, Sheppard is stepping up as of late to fill a huge void.</p><p>Sheppard finished with 27 points and four assists in 37 minutes off the bench. He made five triples and was very efficient, making nine of his 13 field-goal attempts on the night. He was a plus-13 as well for the Rockets in a three-point defeat.</p><p>It is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-reed-sheppard-emerging-reliable-asset-kevin-durant">now apparent that Sheppard is more than</a> just a shooter. He affects the game positively for the Rockets with the spacing he provides, and his ballhandling allows their offense to be that much more coherent. And he’s convincing fans and media members that he’s a star in the making with every consistent stretch he puts together.</p><p>In fact, Bill Simmons of the Ringer <a href="https://x.com/BillSimmons/status/1992073680822862235?s=20" rel="noopener">even evoked</a> Mark Price’s name in observation of Sheppard’s performance on Friday against the Nuggets.</p><p>“This Reed Sheppard emergence is exciting. Every game there’s a 6-minute stretch where it looks like the Rockets cloned Mark Price,” Simmons wrote on his official account on X (formerly Twitter).</p><p>Price was one of the most efficient scoring point guards of his time, so being compared to him must feel very good for the nascent Rockets guard.</p><h2><b>Rockets need Reed Sheppard to pop off</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Reed-Sheppard.jpg"><figcaption>Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There is plenty of opportunity for Sheppard to establish himself as an important piece of the Rockets rotation especially amid injuries to key guys such as Tari Eason, Dorian Finney-Smith, and VanVleet.</p><p>His rookie season may have been dreadful, but it’s not like Price set the world on fire when he began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. During Price’s rookie year, he averaged a mere 6.9 points in 67 games while playing just 18.2 minutes a night off the bench.</p><p>Price then blossomed as a perennial 50-40-90 threat while leading the way for a contending Cavs team. Can Sheppard follow a similar trajectory?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
13.6	2.4	3.1	0.4	1.6

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
13.6	2.4	3.1	0.4	1.6

Reed Sheppard

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Kevin Durant’s Rockets absence brings Reed Sheppard silver lining after career game

Rockets’ Reed Sheppard earns massive Mark Price compliment from Bill Simmons

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