Reed Sheppard Stats Tonight: How did Rockets rookie fare against the fierce Timberwolves (Feb. 7)

Reed Sheppard is halfway into his first season with the Houston Rockets, who drafted him third overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. On Thursday, Sheppard saw action on the floor against the highly skilled Minnesota Timberwolves.

As of halftime, with the Rockets leading 71-66, the former Kentucky standout had played nine minutes and scored just three points. Sheppard's lone basket in the game thus far came at the 9:22 mark of the second quarter, when Jae'Sean Tate found him in the right wing for a 26-foot outside shot.

With 7:18 left in the quarter, Sheppard stole the ball from Wolves center Rudy Gobert, though the Rockets came emptyhanded from this possession as Dillon Brooks missed a midrange shot on the other end. Aside from this bucket and defensive play, Sheppard also has one rebound, one assist, and one block.

His shot from beyond the arc ended up being his only made field goal of the game, as he scored zero points in the second half, finishing 1-for-5 from the field. Sheppard's final stat line of the night is three points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.

Despite committing three turnovers, Sheppard was one of just two Rockets players who finished with a positive value in the plus/minus column. Sheppard was a +4 and Jock Landale was a +5 as the Rockets lost 127-114 to the Timberwolves. This is the Rockets' fifth loss in a row, and role players like Sheppard will have to step up to help stars like Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green arrest Houston's skid.

Reed Sheppard sets career high amidst Rockets' recent struggles

While the Rockets had plenty of momentum last month, their losing streak has gotten in the way of seriously challenging the Oklahoma City Thunder for the top spot in the Western Conference.

Still, they have picked up some moral victories along the way, including some bright spots for young players like Sheppard. Earlier this week, in a 99-97 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Sheppard set his career high at 16 points.

The rookie also tallied seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. These are certainly promising signs for the third overall pick of last year's Draft.