Inside The Rockets

Reed Sheppard's Aggressiveness Pays Off in Rockets' Blowout Win vs. Nets

Houston's second-year guard had his first efficient game of the regular season. Is it a sign of things to come?
Jed Katz|
Oct 27, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) handles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Oct 27, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) handles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets finally picked up their first win of the 2025-26 season nearly one week in, blowing out the Brooklyn Nets at the Toyota Center. At home, the Rockets took care of business against a rebuilding team, winning 137-109.

There was a lot to like from Houston, which took advantage of a poor defense. The team put up 137 points while shooting 57.2% from the field and 50% from three.

There wasn't necessarily a star scorer for the Rockets. Tari Eason led the game in points from the bench, putting up 22. Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant had 21 and 19, respectively, as Houston combined for 33 assists. The offense was certainly flowing on Monday night.

One particular bright spot was Reed Sheppard, who put up 15 points, four rebounds, eight assists and a steal while shooting 6-for-11 from the field and 3-for-7 from three.

In all three Rockets games this season, Sheppard has taken 11 shots. In the first two, he went 3-for-11, but managed to find some consistency against the Nets. While Brooklyn isn't considered a competitive opponent, it's promising to see the second-year guard put up this stat line.

Sheppard has been aggressive all season long on both sides of the floor, and it looks like it paid off on Monday. He handled Brooklyn's pressure extremely well with just two turnovers, making great passes as the floor general and advancing the ball quickly for Houston.

When given chances to score, the 21-year-old didn't hesitate. Sheppard was taking shots both off the dribble and the catch, looking extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands.

Sheppard's impressive performance is particularly good to see after the first two games of the season. It wasn't just his offense that was concerning.

The 6-foot-2 guard was being targeted on defense by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons, despite being regarded as a ball-stopper at Kentucky, leading the SEC in steals per game with 2.5.

Now, Sheppard's averages have boosted to 11 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. His overall shooting isn't great at 36.4% from the field, but he's shooting an incredible 44.4% from three.

Hopefully, Houston can ride Sheppard's momentum from the bench and keep up the offensive dominance. The Rockets rank fourth in offensive rating despite a 1-2 record, proving that Durant's sheer presence has positive impacted a team that lacked in scoring last season.

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Jed Katz
JED KATZ

Jed is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in journalism. He also contributes at several other basketball outlets, including has his own basketball blog and podcast — The Sixth Man Report.

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