Reed Sheppard Stats Tonight: How did Rockets rookie fare in bench return vs Pacers after dropping career high? (Mar. 4)

Modified Mar 05, 2025 07:40 GMT

NBA: Toronto Raptors at Houston Rockets - Source: Imagn — Reed Sheppard Stats Tonight: How did Rockets rookie fare in 6th man role vs Pacers? (Mar. 4) (Image Source: Imagn)

Houston Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard returned to the team's bench in Tuesday's clash against the Indiana Pacers. He was coming off a career-high 25-point night in his first start for the team during Monday's contest against the OKC Thunder. Sheppard played in a sixth-man role and was expected to have a significant impact.

Reed Sheppard Stats Tonight: Rockets rookie's performance through 4 quarters

Sheppard couldn't carry over the momentum against Indiana from his career-high outing. The Rockets' regular rotation players returning against the Pacers hindered Sheppard's opportunities. He only had one attempt in eight minutes in the first half. Sheppard made a trip to the foul line for two attempts but missed those shots, too.

He added a rebound, two assists and one steal, committing one personal foul and posting a +/- score of -12.

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Despite his struggles in the first half, coach Ime Udoka continued to run with Reed Sheppard in the third quarter, giving him five minutes in the quarter. Sheppard ended his field goal drought, going 1-for-4, and added another steal, entering the fourth quarter. With the Rockets attempting a comeback through most of the fourth and nearly getting there, Sheppard didn't see the floor until the final minute.

After the Rockets starters failed to execute the comeback, Udoka reintroduced Sheppard with the second unit, in which he played just under two minutes and made one shot on one attempt. Sheppard finished with four points, one rebound, two assists and two steals on 2-for-6 shots.

He missed his only shot from 3-point range and his two free throw attempts. The Rockets lost 115-102, falling to their third consecutive loss.

The Rockets started well but lost their grip in this contest second quarter onwards. Their lack of offensive firepower in Fred VanVleet's absence held them back. With only 22 assists and a field goal shooting average of 40.8%, it was going to be an uphill task for the Rockets to find their way back into this contest with just their defense.

About the author

Arhaan Raje is an Assistant Content Manager and Senior Writer with Sportskeeda's NBA/WNBA team with four years of experience.

Arhaan focuses on features, trends, listicles, and the latest rumors and reports circling the league's top teams and players. He emphasizes detailed research to create impactful content for readers. A fan of Xs and Os, Arhaan provides technical deep dives in his reporting.

Arhaan completed his bachelor's degree in BBA in Media and Entertainment Management from Mumbai, India.

Arhaan admires the killer mentality of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He respects LeBron James for being a role model on and off the court. The bold and decisive Gregg Popovich stands out as Arhaan's favorite basketball coach. LeBron's epic chase-down block in the 2016 NBA Finals has a special place in Arhaan's basketball memories.

He has interviewed Ronnie 2K, the face of NBA2k and Marketing Director.

Sports isn't the only passion he has pursued professionally. Arhaan is also into performing arts in the music industry as a percussionist.

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Edited by Arhaan Raje