Rockets steal one from Spurs thanks to 4th-quarter rally

Reed Sheppard scored 12 of his 21 points off the bench in the fourth quarter to help spark the Houston Rockets to a 111-106 comeback win over the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.

The Rockets erased a 16-point deficit en route to squaring the season series with the Spurs at a game apiece. Sheppard was the linchpin in the final period, igniting a 9-0 start to the period with an assist on a Kevin Durant basket, a 3-pointer, and a steal that resulted in a second-chance basket from Dorian Finney-Smith.

When Reed drilled another 3-pointer at the 4:45 mark, the Rockets took their first lead since the first quarter at 99-98. Reed added a reverse layup before Jabari Smith Jr. nailed a corner 3 and a 17-footer that snapped a 104-104 deadlock with 1:47 left to play. Smith tallied 17 points in the win.

Alperen Sengun posted 20 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, while Durant added 18 points and seven assists. Amen Thompson posted 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for Houston.

After a scorching start from long range, the Spurs missed 31 of 37 3-pointers over the final three periods. Julian Champagnie led the Spurs with 27 points on 8-for-16 shooting from deep while De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama scored 14 points apiece. Wembanyama grabbed 10 rebounds but missed 16 of 21 shots, including going 0-for-7 on 3s, as Houston capitalized on a physical defensive approach.

Stephon Castle added 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, and his three-point play with 8:06 left in the third gave the Spurs an 83-67 lead.

The Spurs' blistering perimeter shooter turned the tables on a see-saw start that featured seven lead changes and three ties in the opening quarter. Five of the Spurs' initial six field goals came from behind the arc, with Champagnie riding a 4-for-4 start from deep to 15 first-quarter points.

The Spurs carried a 39-28 lead into the second, courtesy of their 8-for-13 showing on 3-pointers. They forged that double-digit advantage with Wembanyama recording only two points in the opening period, but he came alive with 10 points in the second to help keep the Rockets at bay.

Houston proved unable to sustain a run, with a seismic transition dunk from Smith merely cutting the deficit to 61-51 with 4:14 left in the half. The Rockets would get within 10 only once -- 85-76 with 4:26 left in the third -- until their fourth-quarter comeback.