Reed Sheppard Makes Statement After Costly Turnover in Rockets Collapse

The Houston Rockets were in the driver’s seat during the fourth quarter of Friday night’s Game 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, possessing the ball while up six points with just 30 seconds remaining.

However, a string of compounding mistakes ultimately resulted in a game-tying three pointer from 41-year-old NBA superstar LeBron James - who tied the score at 101-101 and forced overtime in Houston.

James pressured second-year guard Reed Sheppard as he took the ball up the court. The NBA veteran made an impressive defensive play, poking the ball out into the hands of his Los Angeles teammate Marcus Smart.

Smart immediately got the ball back in James’ hands, and the rest is history.

The Lakers went on to win with a 112-108 final score in overtime, extending their series lead to 3-0.

Sheppard was asked about his costly turnover after the game. The 21-year-old guard refused to make any excuses for himself, taking full responsibility for the mistake.

“I played basketball long enough,” Sheppard said. “Dribbling up the court with 30 seconds left is dribbling up the court with 30 seconds left.”

“There’s never an excuse – he hasn’t been in a playoff game, he hasn’t been in that environment. It doesn’t matter. It’s simple basketball,” he continued. “I should have made the right play and not turned it over. That was the one thing that could beat us, was a turnover and a three in that situation.”

The Rockets will look to notch their first win of the series when they tipoff against the Lakers in Game 4 on Sunday night.

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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 10:25 AM.