‘That’s my boy.’ UK’s Sheppard, Dillingham meet in NBA Summer League. Here’s how it went.

Reed and Rob reminded us they’re rookies.

The first-year pros from the University of Kentucky — both lottery picks in last month’s NBA draft — went head-to-head for the first time in the summer league in Las Vegas on Thursday night.

The late-night bout, which got underway after 11 p.m. EDT, delivered the sizzle without the steak as both the 19-year-old Rob Dillingham and 20-year-old Reed Sheppard turned in uneven performances.

In an NBA Summer League populated by newbies establishing their creds and veterans looking for work, inconsistency is the rule, not the exception, and Sheppard and Dillingham both fell victim Thursday night.

Dillingham got the better of his former Kentucky teammate as his Minnesota Timberwolves defeated Sheppard’s Houston Rockets 93-83 .

Dillingham finished his 31 minutes as a starter with 15 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals. Dillingham made 6 of 21 shots from the field, including 2 of 7 3-point tries, and 1 of 4 free throws.

“Playing against my teammate, that’s my roommate, that’s my boy. He cold,” Dillingham said afterward of squaring off with Sheppard. “So it’s a blessing for sure.”

Sheppard, also a starter, played 33 minutes. The former North Laurel star and 2023 Kentucky Mr. Basketball led Houston with 20 points on 9-for-17 shooting from the field, a team-high seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and a block. The downside? Sheppard committed an uncharacteristic nine turnovers and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.

“We had a fun time together for a year at Kentucky, battling on the court, being teammates and roommates so it was really fun seeing him at the NBA level and playing against him,” Sheppard said afterward.

Through four NBA Summer League games, Sheppard is averaging 20 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.8 steals, 1.3 blocks and 4.8 turnovers in 33 minutes per game. He’s shooting 50 percent from the field and 27.8 percent on 3-pointers. Sheppard’s 80 total points ranked fourth in the league through Thursday’s games.

Dillingham is averaging 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks and 3.0 turnovers. He’s shooting 28.1 percent overall, including 26.3 percent from 3-point range. Dillingham’s 26 total assists tied for third in the league.

At 3-1, the Timberwolves still had a chance to qualify for the league’s four-team championship playoff depending on Friday’s results. The Rockets, at 2-2, were out of contention for the title. Each team has at least one game remaining.

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