Reed Sheppard was cleared on Saturday evening and came off the injury report. He was listed day-to-day with a left knee issue before the update, and the Rockets face the Hawks tonight.
What happened
Reed Sheppard was upgraded to Cleared on the official injury report at 7:21 PM ET on Saturday, Oct. 24. His previous status was day-to-day. The report gave no detail on the update and no comment. The left knee issue first appeared on Thursday, Oct. 22, when he was listed day-to-day. He was moved to out on Friday, Oct. 23, then back to day-to-day on Saturday before the final clearance. The report does not announce an expected return date because none is needed now that he is cleared.
What it means for the Rockets
Houston plays at the Hawks on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 8:30 PM ET. The Rockets are 2-0, hold the third seed and have won two straight. They are 1-0 with Sheppard and 1-0 without him. The guard, 22, has played one game this season: 15.8 minutes, 3.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Last season he played 82 games and averaged 26.2 minutes, 13.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Without him, Kevin Durant played 37.2 minutes, Amen Thompson 34.8 and Fred VanVleet 30.6. Tari Eason played 14.8 minutes and Bogdan Bogdanovic 11.0.
What to watch
Sheppard's minutes against Atlanta are the first thing to check, since he has played only 15.8 a night this season. Fred VanVleet, Marcus Smart and Steven Adams are all listed as out, so the guard rotation stays thin even with Sheppard back. VanVleet is out with a right knee issue, Smart with a left forearm issue and Adams with a left ankle issue. No return dates are announced for any of them. The next injury report will show whether Sheppard's status holds.
Is Reed Sheppard playing at the Hawks?
Yes, he is expected to be available. The injury report cleared him at 7:21 PM ET on Saturday, Oct. 24, ahead of the 8:30 PM ET game in Atlanta.
When will Reed Sheppard be back?
He is already cleared, so no return date is needed. He was listed day-to-day with a left knee issue earlier in the week, and Saturday's game against the Hawks is the first chance for him to play.