Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets picked up a big 111-106 win on Tuesday night against a San Antonio Spurs squad that is as good a team as there is in the NBA. Durant was efficient as usual, as he finished with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field.
However, it was the performance of Reed Sheppard that had Durant talking after the game. The former Kentucky star led the Rockets in scoring with 21 points while coming off the bench.
After the game, Durant told reporters that he is expecting performances like that from Sheppard to become more of a normal.
“Reed, that’s what I feel like his role is starting to turn into for us,” Durant said. “A guy who can handle it, a guy who can shoot threes and get us going. It is about time, I am going to start expecting nights like this. I want to get to the point where we don’t get excited like nights for him because I feel like this can be consistent. I feel like his process was good.”
Sheppard was the No. 3 pick by the Rockets in the 2024 NBA Draft, and he didn’t have quite the season he would have liked in his rookie campaign. He played in only 52 games and averaged 4.4 points.
This season, he is averaging 13 points while shooting 40.9% from the 3-point line.
The Rockets have the potential to contend for an NBA title this season. Guys like Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun are two of the best young players in the sport. If Sheppard is able to meet Durant’s expectations, Houston will be a tough out for anyone in the postseason.
