Reed Sheppard made the three-point line his office on Wednesday as he carried the Houston Rockets past the Milwaukee Bucks, 119-113, at Toyota Center.
Sheppard kept the Rockets afloat throughout the contest with his hot shooting from long distance. He finished with 27 points on a career-high nine three-pointers on top of four rebounds, six assists, two steals, and zero turnovers.
According to StatMuse, Sheppard was only a triple shy of tying the team record for most three-pointers in a game. Four players share the franchise mark: James Harden, Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Chandler Parsons. Harden did it thrice.
The 21-year-old Sheppard, meanwhile, is tied with Harden, VanVleet, Kevin Porter Jr., Jeremy Lin, and Robert Horry for the second spot on the list.
Sheppard was coming off a 20-point performance, including four three-pointers, off the bench in their win over the New York Knicks, 111-94, on Tuesday.
The third overall pick in 2024, Sheppard is having a breakout campaign for Houston. He is among the frontrunners for Sixth Man of the Year, with averages of 13.7 points, 39.4% three-point shooting, 2.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.5 steals.
Kevin Durant has praised Sheppard's talent, potential, and attitude, stressing the former Kentucky standout's importance to the Rockets, especially with VanVleet sitting out the whole season due to an ACL injury.
Alperen Sengun also had a solid outing against the Bucks, tallying 25 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Durant had 19 points, five rebounds, and nine assists.
The Rockets, who were recently blasted for their “clogged-toilet offense,” have now won four straight games. They will look to extend the streak on Friday when they host the Utah Jazz.
