Reed Sheppard Stats Tonight: How did Rockets rookie fare against Charlotte Hornets? (Dec. 23)

Reed Sheppard and the Houston Rockets continued a three-game road swing with a game against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. The rookie sat out the entire first quarter before starting in the second period. He immediately grabbed a rebound before swatting Miles Bridges' layup.

Sheppard made his first basket, a 27-footer off a nifty pass from Jabari Smith Jr. The No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA draft continued to impact the game with his playmaking and defense. Rockets coach Ime Udoka took him out with 5:06 remaining in the first half for Jalen Green. The Houston Rockets held a 62-31 halftime lead.

Reed Sheppard did not see action in the third quarter but played extended minutes in the final frame. With the Houston Rockets cruising to a comfortable win, Ime Udoka gave the rookie extra exposure.

The rookie went 0-for-4 from deep, two of them wide-open attempts. He added two rebounds, one assist and one steal to his contribution. The Rockets walked away from Charlotte with a 114-101 victory.

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	FG	3-PT FG	FT	+/-
Reed Sheppard	3	4	2	1	1	0	1-7	1-6	0-0	-3

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Reed Sheppard played the most minutes this month against the Charlotte Hornets

Reed Sheppard has been relegated to short appearances for most of his rookie season. This month, he hasn't played more than 15 minutes until Monday's game between the Houston Rockets and the Charlotte Hornets.

Even in lopsided wins, the combo guard has not seen much action. In Houston's 133-113 beatdown of the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, Ime Udoka played Sheppard 15 minutes.

The rookie finally got extended minutes in his team's comfortable win versus Charlotte. Sheppard struggled with his shooting after making a 3-pointer in the second quarter. Still, he had an impact with his hustle, defense and playmaking.

Houston gets a rematch with New Orleans on Thursday. Only time will tell if the former Kentucky star can see more playing time if the Rockets continue to dominate the Pelicans.