‘That spark plug we need’: Rockets star Kevin Durant loves what he sees in Reed Sheppard

“He was the reason why we won this game,” Kevin Durant says of Reed Sheppard (after Houston’s victory at Milwaukee). “Reed was incredible tonight. He got us going.”

It was a very encouraging weekend for young point guard Reed Sheppard, who is now in his second season with the Rockets.

In a pair of competitive road games versus tough opponents in San Antonio and Milwaukee, Sheppard was a clear standout off Houston’s bench.

The 21-year-old Kentucky product averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 steals in 27.5 minutes per game, all while shooting 60.0% from the field and a blistering 61.5% on 3-pointers.

One person who took notice was Sheppard’s All-Star teammate, Kevin Durant.

After Sunday’s come-from-behind victory over the Bucks (6-4), the future Hall of Famer said of Sheppard (via Vanessa Richardson, Space City Home Network):

Reed was incredible tonight. He was huge. He got us going.

He was the reason why we won this game. That backtap to get the steal and then hit the 3 in the corner… I think that’s what got us going, and it put a little bit of fear in their hearts, as well. Because they had some momentum, and I think that changed the momentum for us.

Reed is going to be that spark plug that we need, and tonight was one of those nights.

To say the least, that’s a strong endorsement for the No. 3 overall draft pick from the NBA’s 2024 first round. Later in the evening, Durant posted a picture of Sheppard to his Instagram page.

Sheppard and the Rockets (6-3) will look to build on their recent momentum when they host the struggling Washington Wizards (1-9) on Wednesday night. Tipoff from Houston’s Toyota Center, where the home team is beginning a three-game homestand, is at 7:00 p.m. Central.

That Rockets-Wizards game will be televised regionally on Space City Home Network and nationally via NBA League Pass.

More: In loss at Spurs, Reed Sheppard shows promising signs for Rockets