Sheppard Shines, Rockets Roll to 2-1 in the Preseason

Lead by Jalen Green, the Rockets beat the New Orleans Pelicans. Reed Sheppard had a great game, and showed why Houston drafted him.

Oct 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) and New Orleans Pelicans center Daniel Theis (10, not shown) leap for the opening jump ball during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets held their first game at home this season tonight beating the New Orleans Pelicans 98-118 . The starting lineup this season played together for the first time in the preseason. The starting five continues the same as last year: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun.

Houston also showed off their new in-stadium big screen.

It took Houston a few minutes to get hot on offense, but with six minutes left in the first quarter, New Orleans called a timeout due to Houston heating up. Reed Sheppard saw some early minutes after this timeout. Amen Thompson also made his first three-pointer of the pre-season.

Jalen Green lead Houston, ending the game with 19 points and six rebounds. Continuing to play with his speed, Green showed that he can get to the rim at any given moment. This is key for Houston, as the guard proved in March, that using his speed to beat defenders, it makes him the best player on the floor.

Houston got really hot in the second quarter, courtesy of Reed Sheppard.

The rookie came out on a heater. He showed off his midrange shots, and then impressed with a deep three-pointer. Sheppard then got a steal, went on a fastbreak, and had his first pre-season dunk. Every game he is proving to get more and more comfortable.

Jordan Hawkins lit up for the Pelicans in the third quarter. This led to the Rockets showing quite a bit of the same themes late in the game as last season. Houston started to fall apart on defense, forcing Coach Ime Udoka to call a timeout.

Cam Whitmore proved that even on an off-night shooting, he can still be effective. Using backdoor cuts and being aggressive on defense, he still brought a strong presence off the bench benefitting the team.

The Rockets play their last preseason game on Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs at home.

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