Reed Sheppard ignited a fourth-quarter explosion, single-handedly snatching victory from the Spurs with electrifying plays and a decisive offensive barrage.
For much of Tuesday night, it looked like the Houston Rockets were testing the limits of their own margin for error. San Antonio couldn’t miss early. Houston’s perimeter defense was leaking. And Julian Champagnie was having the best shooting night of his career, pouring in three after three.
The Spurs entered the fourth quarter with a working cushion and momentum on their side.
Then Reed Sheppard decided it was over.
Sheppard didn’t just swing the game- he took total control. The 21-year-old guard detonated in the fourth quarter, ripping the game away with shot-making, defensive disruption, and pure feel. Back-to-back threes. A steal. A transition layup. A block on a Champagnie three. In the span of minutes, a double-digit deficit evaporated, and Toyota Center took to its feet.
Houston steamrolled San Antonio with a 13-0 run fueled almost entirely by Sheppard’s energy and precision. While San Antonio went ice cold, finishing the quarter 0-for-13 from deep, Sheppard kept punishing late rotations and sloppy passes.
Reed Sheppard finished with 21 points off the bench, hit 4-of-10 from three, and posted a game-best +15 plus/minus in a game.
Sheppard forced turnovers, sprinted the floor, and played with a decisiveness that steadied everything around him when the Rockets needed it most.
From there, Houston closed. Amen Thompson iced the game at the line. Alperen Sengun slowed possessions and scored inside. And the Houston Rockets walked away with a 111-106 comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs.
But make no mistake- this game turned the moment Reed Sheppard decided the fourth quarter belonged to him.