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Rockets' Reed Sheppard: Back in starting lineup Friday
Rotowire
Sheppard ended with 17 points (6-21 FG, 4-13 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and three steals in 46 minutes during Friday's 112-108 overtime loss to the Lakers in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Sheppard moved back into the starting lineup after Kevin Durant was earlier ruled out with an ankle injury. While it was a much-improved performance by Sheppard, it ultimately wasn't enough, with Houston losing in overtime. The two teams will meet again in Game 4 on Sunday, when the Rockets will look to force a Game 5 back in Los Angeles.
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Rockets' Reed Sheppard: Starting Game 3
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Sheppard will start Friday's Game 3 of the Western Conference first-round series against the Lakers, Lachard Binkley of SI.com reports.
After coming off the bench and playing just 11 minutes in Tuesday's Game 2 loss, Sheppard will return to the first unit. The second-year guard started Saturday's Game 1 loss, during which he posted 17 points, eight assists, one rebound, one steal and one block in 36 minutes.
Rockets' Reed Sheppard: Expanded role on tap for Game 3
Rotowire
Head coach Ime Udoka said Thursday that Sheppard will see more playing time in Game 3 on Friday against the Lakers, per Lachard Binkley of SI.com.
Sheppard logged just 11 minutes, his lowest total of 2025-26 including the regular season, during Houston's Game 2 loss in Los Angeles, but that's expected to change Friday. Udoka didn't specify if Sheppard would start, but the likes of Josh Okogie, Jae'Sean Tate and Aaron Holiday all appear to be in danger of losing out on minutes in Game 3.
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Rockets' Reed Sheppard: Scoreless in Game 2 loss
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Sheppard logged zero points (0-4 FG, 0-3 3Pt), three assists and one steal across 11 minutes during Tuesday's 101-94 loss to the Lakers in Game 2 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Sheppard hit rock bottom, failing to score for the first time all season. After playing a substantial role in Game 1, Sheppard was basically an afterthought, logging just 11 minutes following the return of Kevin Durant. Now trailing 0-2 in the series, Houston will head home, where it will look to wrestle back some momentum.
Sheppard won't start Tuesday's Game 2 against the Lakers, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
With Kevin Durant (knee) back in the lineup, Sheppard will slide to the second unit. Over 61 regular-season appearances off the bench, he averaged 12.9 points, 2.9 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals across 24.8 minutes per contest.
Sheppard racked up 17 points (6-20 FG, 5-14 3Pt), one rebound, eight assists, one block and one steal across 36 minutes during Saturday's 107-98 loss to the Lakers in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Sheppard assumed a larger role with Kevin Durant (knee) in street clothes. Josh Okogie was effective on defense, but he couldn't fill the production gap left by Durant. Much of that responsibility fell to Sheppard and Jabari Smith, who tried to keep the team afloat against a powerful performance from the Lakers. Sheppard was able to muster 17 points thanks to a high shot volume, but he only converted 30 percent of those attempts. Despite the shooting deficiency, he recorded an excellent fantasy total thanks to eight rebounds, matching his second-highest total of the season in the category.
Sheppard racked up 19 points (7-18 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 26 minutes during Sunday's 132-101 win over Memphis.
With Houston's starters taking a seat during the regular-season finale, Sheppard stepped into the first unit. It's a familiar path for Sheppard, who started 21 times this season and is often the preferred candidate at the point guard position. The team could go with Sheppard or Josh Okogie as they begin the first-round series with the Lakers, but Sheppard should log significant minutes in either event.
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Rockets' Reed Sheppard: Starting vs. Memphis
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Sheppard will start Sunday's game against the Grizzlies, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
With Houston resting four of its regular starters, Sheppard will enter the first unit in the Rockets' regular-season finale. As a starter this season (20 games), the second-year guard has averaged 15.2 points, 5.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals across 30.4 minutes per tilt.
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Rockets' Reed Sheppard: Won't start Thursday
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Sheppard won't start Thursday's game against the 76ers, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
Sheppard has started 10 of the last 11 games but will slide to the second unit Thursday in favor of Josh Okogie. Sheppard has averaged 13.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.0 steals in 29.0 minutes per game over his last five appearances off the bench.
Sheppard recorded 12 points (4-10 FG, 4-8 3Pt), two rebounds, seven assists, one block and one steal across 29 minutes during Friday's 140-106 win over the Jazz.
Sheppard was one of six Houston players to score in double digits, and the sharpshooting guard continues to be an absolute menace from three-point range. This was his 10th straight game with multiple three-pointers and his third consecutive contest with at least four. Even though Sheppard isn't expected to carry the Rockets offensively any time soon, his efficiency from deep, regular starting role and overall scoring prowess make him a solid fantasy contributor across the board. He's particularly serviceable in category-based leagues that include three-point categories.
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Rockets' Reed Sheppard: Scores 27 points in win
Rotowire
Sheppard finished with 27 points (9-15 FG, 9-14 3Pt), four rebounds, six assists and two steals over 37 minutes during Wednesday's 119-113 victory over the Bucks.
Sheppard got the start Wednesday after coming off the bench against the Knicks on Tuesday during the first leg of a back-to-back set. Tari Eason moved to the bench to make room for Sheppard, who carried the Rockets offensively alongside Alperen Sengun. This 27-point output was Sheppard's second straight game with at least 20 points, and he's hit this line in three of the Rockets' last seven contests. Since the All-Star break, Sheppard has been alternating between the first unit and the bench, averaging 16.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
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Rockets' Reed Sheppard: Will start Wednesday
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Sheppard will start Wednesday's game against the Bucks, Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Tari Eason got the starting nod in Tuesday's win over the Knicks in a matchup-based decision, but Sheppard will return to the starting lineup against Milwaukee. As a starter this season (16 games), the second-year guard has averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 31.0 minutes per contest.
Rockets' Reed Sheppard: Strong performance off bench
Rotowire
Sheppard ended with 20 points (8-12 FG, 4-7 3Pt), five rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals over 28 minutes during Tuesday's 111-94 win over the Knicks.
Sheppard moved back to the bench, although he still managed to maintain his recent momentum. While his demotion was seemingly a step in the wrong direction, head coach Ime Udoka spoke prior to the game, indicating this was merely a temporary move, with Sheppard likely back in the starting lineup for Wednesday's matchup with the Bucks. Continue to roster him with confidence.
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Rockets' Reed Sheppard: Coming off bench Tuesday
Rotowire
Sheppard is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game versus the Knicks, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
Tari Eason is instead getting the starting nod against the Knicks for matchup-related reasons. Sheppard's minutes should remain mostly unaffected by the move to the bench, as he's averaging 12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 29.4 minutes per contest across his last six games as a reserve.
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