Sheppard's career-best game fuels Rockets' explosive bench. Eason dominates, leading to a decisive win over the Wizards.
The Houston Rockets (7-3) handled business on Wednesday night, taking down the Washington Wizards (1-10) 129–112 at home, and they did it with one of their most explosive bench performances of the season.
Reed Sheppard silenced early season doubters with the best game of his career: 21 points in 24 minutes, shooting 5-for-8 from deep and hitting his fifth three early in the fourth, going 4-for-4 from outside and looked comfortable and in total control on offense all night- even without Kevin Durant or Amen Thompson on the floor.
Tari Eason matched the energy, putting up 20 points in 20 minutes, including ten quick ones in just six minutes to blow the game open in the second quarter. His drives, cuts, and defensive pressure blew past the Wizards’ second unit, and Washington’s bench was outscored 56-41.
As for the starters, Thompson put up an easy 18 points on 8-for-11 from the field. He was virtually impossible for Washington to stay in front of as he flexed elite efficiency and controlled aggression.
The Wizards failed to be proactive with Kevin Durant, and he dropped 16 of his 23 points in the first quarter alone.
While by eye test, it seemed Alperen Şengün outplayed Wizards rookie Alex Sarr based on presence and aggression, the box score says otherwise. Sarr finished with 25 points and made two-thirds of his shots from both inside and out, while Şengün posted 16 on the board. Still, the Rockets cashed out with 13 Şengün rebounds and 6 assists.
Houston’s defense held C.J. McCollum, who came in averaging 30.7 points over his last three games, per ESPN, to just 10 points at a measly 2-for-11 shooting from the field.
The Wizards are younger and less experienced and disciplined than the Rockets. less experienced, but according to their assistant coach David Vanterpool, their problem was physicality. When asked at halftime what he needed to see offensively from the team going into the third quarter he said “… we’ve got to start with effort. We’ve got to, you know, try to get more defensive rebounds to limit their attempts.”
And they did. Washington tried to make a push coming out of halftime, putting up 14 quick points in the first five minutes of the third quarter and cut into Houston’s lead and outrebounded them in both of the last quarters on the Rockets’ side of the court, but they never closed the gap. Every time the Wizards swung, the Rockets answered with something cleaner, faster, and more intentional.
The problem was that Houston didn’t give them anything to limit. The Rockets were attacking the paint first, kicking out when the Wizards followed them in, and controlling the tempo on both ends. Even when the Wizards found small runs, Houston snatched momentum right back and extended their lead again.
By the fourth quarter, it was clear: this wasn’t just a win, it was a flex. The Rockets discipline, chemistry, and bench were more than enough- even without retaining every rebound or superhuman performances from Durant and Sengun. Games like this one remind the league why Houston leads in offense. Every player on the starting roster has some superstar quality or another, and the bench is starting to flaunt their value.
Already this early in the season, the Rockets have proven that their lineup- particularly their second unit- worth more than just hype. Houston may have had a slip up last weekend, but it looks like coach Ime Udoka has made some smart rotation adjustments, and the Rockets’ momentum is starting up again. It’s likely we’ll see more of Sheppard and Eason on the floor in the coming weeks.