Rockets' Sheppard Spark: Home Court Advantage

The Houston Rockets are staring down the barrel in their first round playoff series against the Lakers, trailing 0-2 after 2 brutal road, losses in Los Angeles.

Their offense looked lost, shooting just 29% from beyond the arc, while the Lakers capitalized even without Lucodon Cheech and Austin.

Reeves.

Now they head home to the Toyota Center for Game 3, their first playoff tilt there this season.

That 30-win 11-loss regular season mark at home gives them a real shot to flip the script, but playoffs demand quick fixes to that chaotic, flow.

Fans and analysts are buzzing about the pressure on coach Eme Udoca to shake things up, especially after Houston got smothered in the half-court.

The series pays sits dead last at 91.75 possessions per game, forcing everything through slow grinds around Kevin Durant.

Keto Watch is 21-year-old guard Reed Shepard, who barely saw 11 minutes in game 2 despite his elite spot of shooting and pesky.

Defense.

Giving him real run could spark the 3-point fire they desperately need and quiet talk of limited opportunities.

If the rockets ramp up the tempo for more fast breaks and unleash Shepard, they might claw back into this thing and avoid a 3-o-hole.

Home crowd energy can make it a battle worth tuning in for.

That's your update from California News today, powered by AI.