‘Playing free’: Reed Sheppard erupts as Rockets win fourth straight

· Yahoo Sports

HOUSTON -- Reed Sheppard scored a team-high 27 points and connected on a career-high nine 3-pointers as Houston held off Milwaukee on Wednesday night, 119-113 (box score).

Visit bettingx.bond for more information.

The Rockets (47-29) climbed to the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference standings, while the Bucks (30-46) remain at No. 11 in the East and are eliminated from postseason contention.

Both teams were occasionally sluggish on night two of a back-to-back, and the final margin was certainly closer than expected. But fortunately for the Rockets, the firepower from their second-year guard proved too much for the short-handed Bucks to overcome.

Sheppard made 9-of-14 shots from 3-point range (64.3%) for the game, and he also added 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals while not committing any turnovers. The Rockets were +17 in his 37 minutes and -11 in the 11 that he sat out.

“My teammates were able to find me early,” Sheppard told Space City Home Network’s Vanessa Richardson. “Once those first couple went in, they kept looking for me. It was fun.”

Houston is now 39-12 when scoring 110 or more points in a game this season. After a 19-game sample averaging 108.3 points, the Rockets are averaging 119.0 points over their past nine games.

As a team, the Rockets had 30 assists to only 7 turnovers on Wednesday, with many leading to their 18 made 3-pointers (on 42 attempts, 42.9%). During their current four-game winning streak, Houston has recorded 30+ assists four straight times for the first time since March 1986, a span of more than 40 years.

In that streak, the Rockets are averaging only 10.0 turnovers per game, a dramatic reduction from their 17.8 average over the previous six games. Their assist-to-turnover ratio over those four games is 3.20.

“We’re playing free,” Sheppard told reporters postgame. “Everybody is playing with a lot of confidence right now. We’re getting really, really good shots, and we’re sticking with what’s working. Just playing simple basketball. Making the extra pass.”

“Guys are giving high-fives, smiling and happy. It’s been a lot of fun the last couple games, for sure. Great vibes.”

Beyond limiting turnovers, head coach Ime Udoka pointed to improved off-ball actions as a key factor in Houston’s recent growth on offense.

Sheppard returned to the starting lineup Wednesday after being used as a reserve in Tuesday’s victory over the New York Knicks (for matchup reasons, per Udoka). Going forward, the 21-year-old said he’s fine with either configuration.

“Me and Tari (Eason) have talked, and neither one of us care who starts,” Sheppard told Rockets Wire’s Brian Barefield. Sheppard indicated that his approach and preparation are the same, regardless.

The Rockets are now 13-2 this season in games where they make at least 15 3-pointers, and they are 21-6 when shooting 40.0% or better from deep. For the 2025-26 season, Sheppard’s 211 made 3-pointers leads the Rockets and ranks No. 11 in the entire NBA — an impressive feat relative to his 26.4 minutes per game average.

Beyond Sheppard — whose nine treys were one short of the franchise record for a single game — other individual statistics of note included:

  • Alperen Sengun: 25 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals; 9-of-13 shooting (69.2%), 2-of-2 on 3-pointers, 5-of-6 on free throws (83.3%)
  • Kevin Durant: 19 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds; 7-of-16 shooting (43.8%)
  • Amen Thompson: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals; 5-of-10 shooting (50.0%), 8-of-8 on free throws
  • Jabari Smith Jr.: 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks; 5-of-15 shooting (33.3%), 2-of-8 on 3-pointers (25.0%)
  • Ousmane Dieng (Bucks): 36 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 5 turnovrs; 15-of-31 shooting (48.4%), 1-of-7 on 3-pointers (14.3%), 5-of-5 on free throws
  • Jericho Sims (Bucks): 20 rebounds, 8 offensive
  • Cormac Ryan (Bucks): 25 points, 4 assists; 9-of-14 shooting (64.3%), 4-of-7 on 3-pointers (57.1%)

Durant is averaging 8.2 assists over his last five outings, up from 4.7 for the season as a whole. The All-Star forward has recorded six or more assists in five straight games for the first time since March 2022.

Houston will wrap up its homestand with Friday’s matchup versus the rebuilding Utah Jazz (21-56). Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. Central from Toyota Center, and the game will be televised and streamed regionally via Space City Home Network and nationally on NBA League Pass.

A win over the Jazz would give Houston a five-game winning streak, which the Rockets haven’t enjoyed since prior to Thanksgiving.

More: Under Ime Udoka, Rockets lead NBA in after-timeout scoring efficiency

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ‘Playing free’: Reed Sheppard erupts as Rockets win fourth straight

Read full story at source