Reed Sheppard went from day-to-day to out for the Rockets' game in San Antonio on Friday with a left knee issue. Houston, 1-0, will play the Spurs without the 22-year-old guard.
What happened
Reed Sheppard was ruled out for Friday night's game in San Antonio. The injury report filed at 8:48 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 23, moved the 22-year-old guard from day-to-day to out. The issue is his left knee. He was day-to-day with the same left knee issue on Thursday, Oct. 22. The report's comment was short: "Sheppard (knee) is out for Friday's game in San Antonio." No further detail on the injury has been announced.
What it means for the Rockets
The Rockets play at the Spurs on Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video. Houston won its opener, is 1-0 and holds the third seed. Sheppard played in that win and had 3 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists in 15.8 minutes. Last season he played all 82 games and averaged 13.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 26.2 minutes. Fred VanVleet (29.6 minutes) and Marcus Smart (26.5) are the guards in the rotation who can take his minutes. Bogdan Bogdanovic has played 13.1 minutes. The Rockets are 1-0 with Sheppard and have not played a game without him.
What to watch
The injury report lists Sheppard's expected return as Saturday, Oct. 24, the day after the San Antonio game. No timeline past that date has been announced. The next report will show whether he is cleared. Steven Adams is also on the Rockets' report, day-to-day with a right calf issue, so keep an eye on Houston's frontcourt depth as well as its guard rotation.
Is Reed Sheppard playing at the Spurs on Friday?
No. The injury report has him out for Friday's game in San Antonio with a left knee issue.
When will Reed Sheppard be back?
The injury report lists his expected return as Saturday, Oct. 24. No other timeline has been announced.