Overview
- The Rockets lost to the Nuggets 112-109 in NBA Cup play despite Sheppard’s surge off the bench.
- Sheppard posted 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting with 5-of-8 from three, four assists and two steals in 37 minutes, finishing plus-13.
- He poured in 18 points in the second quarter, including four threes, to erase a double-digit deficit and earn a rare second-half start.
- Sheppard cited pre-check-in advice from the injured VanVleet about attacking pick-and-rolls and taking threes to jump-start the offense.
- Bill Simmons highlighted the performance by likening stretches of Sheppard’s game to Mark Price in a post on X.