Reed Sheppard’s performance could lead to more clutch moments from the young point guard

Reed Sheppard supplied a significant increase in Game 5 in opposition to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sheppard completed with 12 factors, six assists, and three steals. After LeBron James made a layup to minimize the deficit to 5 with just below three minutes remaining, Sheppard responded by scoring his ninth and tenth factors on a easy midrange leap shot.

Moments later, Sheppard recorded his third steal by stripping the ball from James and changing it right into a breakaway dunk. The play helped the Rockets sign the victory, together with clutch free-throw taking pictures down the stretch.

For Sheppard, the performance mirrored how he and his teammates responded after being on the brink of elimination following a Game 3 loss at house — a sport during which they surrendered a six-point lead in the last 30 seconds.

“After what happened in Game 3, we could have very easily shut it down and pouted and quit, but that’s not what we did,” Sheppard mentioned. “We watched it (game film), we learned from it, and just kept fighting and gave ourselves a chance to play. It’s about going out there, fighting and competing. We have a lot of confidence in each other, and we trust each other, so when we go out there, we’re going to give it our all and play as hard as we can.”

Sheppard’s impression on each ends of the ground might be essential as the Rockets host the Lakers for Game 6 at the Toyota Center.