Rockets guard Reed Sheppard was cleared on the Monday evening injury report, moving up from day-to-day. He is set to be available when Houston faces Boston at 8:30 PM ET.
What happened
Reed Sheppard was moved to Cleared on the injury report at 7:09 PM ET on Monday, Nov 2. He had been listed as Day-To-Day. The report gave no detail and no comment with the change. The back and torso issue first put him on the report as Out on Thursday, Oct 29. His status then moved between Out and Day-To-Day on Oct 31 and again on Sunday, Nov 1, when he was last listed Day-To-Day. Earlier, on Oct 24, he was cleared from Day-To-Day with a left knee and leg issue. No return date was needed this time, and none was announced.
What it means for the Rockets
Houston plays the Celtics on Monday at 8:30 PM ET. The Rockets are 6-1, the No. 2 seed, with one straight win. Sheppard gives them 10.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 23.3 minutes over four games. The Rockets are 4-0 with him and 2-1 without him. In the games he missed, Fred VanVleet played 30.5 minutes and scored 13.0 points. Marcus Smart played 25.3 minutes and Tari Eason 24.1. Bogdan Bogdanovic played 14.3 minutes. Steven Adams and Clint Capela are both listed Out, so the guard and wing rotation matters.
What to watch
The main question is how many minutes Sheppard plays against Boston after the back and torso issue. His season average is 23.3. Watch whether VanVleet, Smart and Eason see their minutes drop back with him on the floor. The next injury report will show whether his Cleared status holds, since his designation changed several times in the past week. Adams and Capela remain Out, and no return date is announced for either. No games beyond the Celtics are set out here.
Is Reed Sheppard playing vs the Celtics?
He was cleared on the injury report at 7:09 PM ET on Nov 2, so he is not listed with any injury for the 8:30 PM ET game against Boston. No minutes limit was announced.
When will Reed Sheppard be back?
He has been cleared, so no return date is needed. His previous status was Day-To-Day, and the report listed no expected return.