Rockets-Thunder updates: As injuries mount, Reed Sheppard impressive in first NBA start

Posted by author March 4, 2025 NBA

Spread the love

With Houston missing five rotation players due to injury or back-to-back maintenance, young prospects Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore took advantage of a rare opportunity to start in Oklahoma City.

On paper, Monday’s game (box score) between the Houston Rockets (37-23, No. 5 in the Western Conference standings) and the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder (49-11) seemingly profiled as a potential series preview for the NBA’s 2025 playoffs.

But in reality, the visitors at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center were quite short-handed, relative to the version they would hope to have in any playoff rematch.

On Monday, the Rockets were missing veteran guard Fred VanVleet (right ankle strain, which he re-aggravated in Saturday’s game) and Tari Eason, who sits out half of all back-to-backs for injury management pertaining to a previous issue with his left lower leg. With the back-to-back looming and four games over a span of six nights, Houston also held out Alperen Sengun (lower back soreness), Dillon Brooks (right knee contusion), and Amen Thompson (right shoulder soreness).

VanVleet’s return timetable is not yet clear, while the other four rotation regulars are all expected back in the coming days — likely on Tuesday in Indiana.

On the home side, there was more positive injury news. Third-year center Chet Holmgren returned for the Thunder after missing Sunday’s game with a left ankle sprain, which he suffered last Friday. By all indications, it was a minor sprain, since the big man returned only three days later.

Check back for continuous updates from our in-game live blog.

Third-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. had a fast start Monday but has cooled considerably as the game moves along.

Midway through the third quarter, Smith has 11 points and 7 rebounds but has made only 5-of-13 shots (38.5%), including a pair of missed layups during an extended third-quarter run by the Thunder.

Oklahoma City leads, 89-74, with 4:40 left until the fourth quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has 40 points, and his career-high total of 54 could be in play if the game is close enough for “SGA” to play serious fourth-quarter minutes.

The Rockets have played well, but winning on the road as a short-handed underdog is tough to pull off if the shooting advantage isn’t in your favor.

Houston is 6-of-17 from 3-point range (35.3%), while Oklahoma City is 8-of-17 (47.1%). That six-point gap, on identical attempts, is essentially the game’s current margin early in the third quarter (74-67 Thunder, 8:33 left).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored an incredible 32 points in 20 minutes, including 3-of-4 from deep (75.0%). He now has 38 games this season of 30+ points, which leads the league.

Despite being undermanned, Houston only trails by a point (63-62) at halftime. Jalen Green has impressed with a team-high 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in 16 minutes, shooting 4-of-9 from the field (44.4%).

Young prospects Reed Sheppard (11 points, 2 assists, 80.0% FG) and Cam Whitmore (10 points, 6 rebounds, 45.5% FG) each fared well in their first starts of the season.

Superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has dominated for Oklahoma City with 28 points (62.5% FG) in 17 minutes — though spirited play by reserves near the end of Houston’s bench has kept the Rockets surprisingly competitive.

With VanVleet, Thompson, Brooks, Sengun, and Eason all sidelined, the Rockets are playing without five of their top-seven players in minutes per game.

After calling timeout with a nine-point deficit early in the period, the Thunder outscored the short-handed Rockets, 12-2, over the ensuing three minutes. Oklahoma City leads, 45-44, midway through the second quarter.

Cason Wallace has 7 points in 10 minutes off Oklahoma City’s bench, including an impactful 3-pointer over a contest by Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. (8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 57.1% FG)

Making the first start of his young NBA career, rookie guard Reed Sheppard is Houston’s early scoring leader with 9 points, including a deep 3-pointer to give Houston its largest lead of the game (42-33 at the 9:12 mark of the second quarter).

Oklahoma City is -8 in less than three minutes with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander resting on its bench. The Thunder are on night two of a split back-to-back after playing at San Antonio on Sunday, so head coach Mark Daigneault would prefer to be conservative with minutes, if possible.

Facing a new-look zone defense from the Rockets, All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander erupted in the first quarter with 20 points (58.3% FG) for the Thunder.

And yet, Houston leads as the second quarter begins, 31-30. Jalen Green and Cam Whitmore have scored 6 points apiece to lead the Rockets.

Despite being a double-digit underdog amid all the absences, the Rockets hold a 24-16 lead with 4:26 left to play in the first quarter.

Cam Whitmore has paced Houston with 6 points and 3 rebounds, while Jabari Smith Jr., Jock Landale, and Reed Sheppard have scored 4 points apiece while making all five of their combined shots.

Most Valuable Player (MVP) frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder with 8 points (60.0% FG) and 2 assists.

While Houston was missing four of its five planned starters in Oklahoma City due to injuries and/or back-to-back maintenance considerations, the one usual starter who did play was leading scorer Jalen Green.

For the 23-year-old shooting guard, it was his 165th consecutive game played (all starts), representing one of the longest active streaks in the entire NBA. The last time Green missed a game came over two years ago in February 2023.

With the Rockets extremely short-handed (Fred VanVleet, Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Dillon Brooks all unavailable), sparingly used rookie Reed Sheppard made his first NBA start at point guard.

Sheppard, drafted at No. 3 overall in the 2024 first round, started alongside Jalen Green in Houston’s new-look backcourt. Frontcourt starters were Jabari Smith Jr., Cam Whitmore, and Jock Landale.

For Whitmore, a second-year prospect drafted in the 2023 first round, Monday’s game against the Thunder was only his third career start and first of the 2024-25 season.

After missing Sunday’s victory at San Antonio with a left ankle sprain, third-year center Chet Holmgren returned to Monday’s starting lineup for Oklahoma City. Holmgren averages 15.2 points (50.3% FG, 37.7% on 3-pointers), 8.4 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game for the Thunder, and he’s an interior anchor of the NBA’s top-rated defense (which allowed 132 points to the Spurs in his absence).

“This one’s different,” said Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, referring to VanVleet’s previous injury to the same ankle. That one forced him to miss four weeks.

“Hopefully day to day, game to game,” Udoka said. “Reaggravated a different area, same ankle. So hopefully it doesn’t impact the old injury, and he’s back sooner than later.”

VanVleet was a participant in Houston’s gameday shootaround earlier in the day.

With the second game of a back-to-back on tap, Houston’s injury/status report for Tuesday’s game in Indiana will be published at 12:30 p.m. Central that afternoon. That should be the next official update regarding the availabilities of VanVleet and all others who missed Monday’s matchup against the Thunder.

Game and Broadcast Information

Date: Monday, March 3
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City
Channels: Space City Home Networks, NBA TV
Stream: Fubo TV (free trial), NBA League Pass nationally

Team Rankings

Statistical rankings among the NBA’s 30 teams, as of Monday:

Houston: No. 7 net rating (4.0), No. 13 offensive rating (113.4), No. 4 defensive rating (109.4)
Oklahoma City: No. 1 net rating (12.6), No.5 offensive rating (118.4), No. 1 defensive rating (105.8)