Sheppard’s Career Night Fuels Stunning Rockets Comeback Over Warriors 104-100
In a game that had all the makings of a Warriors runaway, a sophomore decided to rewrite the script. Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard exploded for a career-high 31 points, steering his team out of a deep first-half hole to snatch a dramatic 104-100 victory from the Golden State Warriors on their own home court. It was a performance that announced his arrival not just as a player, but as a closer.
The air in the Chase Center was thick with expectation, but by halftime, it was the familiar story of Warriors dominance. Golden State had built a comfortable 12-point lead, and the Rockets looked lost, shooting a meager 39% from the floor. The game felt like it was slipping away, another tally in the loss column for a young Houston squad still trying to find its identity.
But something shifted in the locker room. Whatever was said, it lit a fire under the Rockets, and Reed Sheppard emerged holding the torch.
The Turning of the Tide
The second half was a different ballgame entirely. Houston came out with a renewed sense of purpose, chipping away at the lead with gritty defense and timely buckets. The game’s pivotal moments began to stack up. With just over three minutes left in the third quarter, Sheppard drilled back-to-back shots that sliced the deficit to a mere two points, making it 76-74. The Warriors’ fortress was beginning to crack, and the young Rockets could smell blood in the water.
That momentum bled directly into the fourth quarter. Houston opened with a 5-0 burst, seizing a lead they would fight tooth and nail to protect. Every possession felt like a battle. The Warriors, led by the veteran savvy of Jimmy Butler (21 points) and Draymond Green’s all-around effort, refused to go quietly.
The final minutes were a pressure cooker. A critical play with 3:24 on the clock saw Amen Thompson drive hard to the rim, colliding with Stephen Curry. The whistle blew for an offensive foul, a call that could have stalled Houston’s momentum for good. But a coach’s challenge by the Rockets led to a review, and the call was overturned to a block on Curry. Thompson calmly sank both free throws, putting Houston up 93-91. The crowd was stunned. The Rockets were energized.
A Sophomore’s Defining Moment
From that point on, it was the Reed Sheppard show. He orchestrated the offense with the poise of a ten-year veteran, finding Alperen Sengun for a pull-up jumper and then hitting Amen Thompson for a soaring alley-oop that pushed the lead to six. With under a minute left, Sengun hit a turnaround fadeaway, and it seemed the game was finally out of reach.
But you can never count out the Warriors at home. With just six seconds remaining, Moses Moody drained a three-pointer, pulling Golden State to within two, 102-100. The entire arena held its breath. On the ensuing inbound, the Warriors were forced to foul, and who else but Sheppard stepped to the line with the game in his hands. Ice in his veins, he swished both free throws, sealing the improbable victory and silencing the home crowd for good.
While Sheppard was the undeniable hero, it was a full team effort. Sengun added a solid 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Thompson was a monster on the glass, pulling down 14 rebounds to go with his 10 points. For the Warriors, it was a night of missed opportunities. They coughed up 16 turnovers, which the Rockets mercilessly converted into 22 points. Even worse, Stephen Curry, held to just 14 points, limped off the court late in the game with what was later diagnosed as a right quad contusion, casting a shadow over the team’s immediate future.
For the Houston Rockets, this wasn’t just a win. It was a statement. It was proof that their young core has the heart to fight back from the brink and the talent to take down the league’s giants. On a Wednesday night in San Francisco, Reed Sheppard didn’t just have a career night; he may have just signaled the dawn of a new era for the Rockets.
