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EspañolORLANDO -- As the Rockets left the floor after rallying to a 113-108 victory over the Magic — during which they trailed by as many as 19 points in the second half — many players and coaches gave high-fives to each other and shouted in excitement while jogging through the tunnel.
That sense of jubilation and exhilaration near the visitor’s locker room was warranted, as the Rockets initially seemed to be running in place with tired legs. It was understandable, since they had played at home the previous night versus Sacramento before flying into Orlando overnight.
Yet, Reed Sheppard — who had a major impact during Houston’s 21-0 third-quarter run to flip the game — jogged down the hallway with the same stoic, workmanlike expression on his face. In fact, he looked as if he was ready to play another quarter of basketball, if needed.
“It was fun, it was a good win,” said Sheppard, who exploded for 11 points in the third quarter on his way to 20 points for the game. “Being able to stick together as a team and pull that one out was huge for us and really important win just to fight back and stick together. So, it was a fun one.”
“Just being able to stick together as a team and pull that out, it was huge for us,” said Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard about the 19-point comeback against the Orlando Magic. #Rockets#Sarge@TheRocketsWirepic.twitter.com/D3Ts7mVFY3
— BIG SARGE MEDIA LLC (@BigSargeSportz) February 27, 2026
Sheppard, whom the Rockets selected at No. 3 overall in the 2024 NBA draft, seems to be having fun playing alongside future Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame forward Kevin Durant — who has certainly benefited from Sheppard’s hot shooting. When they are both on the floor together, that makes it harder for teams to double and trap Durant.
“He is not easy to guard at all,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said of Sheppard. “In each game, you have to account for him in what he is doing in the pick-and-roll. And when he is off the ball, you have to be alert for him. He has been on fire.”
After losing to Houston a night earlier, Kings head coach Doug Christie expressed similar sentiments. In fact, he seemed to be in anguish when asked about Sheppard, who torched the Kings for a game-high 28 points.
“He is a hot shooter,” Christie said. “We know he is a hot shooter. He was in the scouting report as a hot shooter. We left the strong side corner, gave him the corner three, which is the easiest three in the game. And for a kid like that, he is going to knock it down. Once he seen a couple go in, it was lights out. And now he is hunting them, and that is a different mentality. When you are hunting shots, you think that the ball is going in.”
“He is a hot shooter, he was in the scouting report as a hot shooter,” said Kings HC Doug Christie about Reed Sheppard when I asked how difficult it is to play against a team with scorers such as Durant and Sengun when you add Sheppard to the mix. #Rockets#Sarge@TheRocketsWirepic.twitter.com/eIENRy7QQE
— BIG SARGE MEDIA LLC (@BigSargeSportz) February 26, 2026
Houston has gone 4-1 since the NBA’s 2026 All-Star break, and Sheppard has become an offensive weapon that head coach Ime Udoka can count on. In 26.4 minutes per game, Sheppard is averaging 17.2 points while shooting 52.8% from the field and 48% from 3-point range. Against the Magic, he made 5-of-7 shots (71.4%) from 3-point range.
Now in his sophomore NBA season, what has been different about Sheppard in 2025-26 is that he has learned how to take advantage of what opposing defenses give to him.
Opponents try to limit him from shooting 3-pointers, but many don’t realize that he also has the ball-handling skills to shoot the mid-range jumper or take the ball to the rim and finish. The coaching staff has noticed this, as well.
“Confidence and aggressiveness,” Udoka said when asked about Sheppard’s growth throughout the season.
On Saturday afternoon in Miami, the Rockets (37-21, No. 3 in Western Conference standings) will be without at least one starter in Jabari Smith Jr., who sprained his right ankle late in Thursday’s win at Orlando. That could lead to Sheppard being inserted into the starting lineup for a second time in three games, as was the case when Amen Thompson sat out Wednesday’s game versus Sacramento with left quad tendinitis.
Facing the Heat (31-29), who rank among the NBA’s five-best defenses, the additional shooting and ball-handling from Sheppard certainly can’t hurt. Tipoff is at 2:30 p.m. Central, with the game televised regionally via Space City Home Network and nationally on Prime Video.
“He has a scorer’s mentality and he is doing it at a high clip,” said Orlando Magic HC Jamahl Mosley pregame about Rockets Reed Sheppard. He also added that Jabari Smith Jr. has taken his game to another level on both ends of the floor. #Rockets#Sarge@TheRocketsWirepic.twitter.com/UXcK3kYuO2
— BIG SARGE MEDIA LLC (@BigSargeSportz) February 28, 2026
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ‘Not easy to guard’: Reed Sheppard turns heads in Houston and beyond