HOUSTON — Sometime before the Houston Rockets’ emphatic 131-116 win over the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of their first-round series, Dillon Brooks was stopped in his tracks as he emerged from the tunnel, heading to the court for his pregame warmup.
The question posed to him, by a downtrodden fan clinging to hope of an extended series — even if just for one more night — was simple.
Are you still Dillon the Villain?
Brooks paused for a second to process. On the surface, this was a straightforward inquiry. But it was actually an introspective probe into the man Brooks used to be, who he is now, and the difference between the two.
Brooks turned back and smiled, shaking his head.
“Nope,” he responded.
When Brooks adopted the nickname “The Villain” a few years ago while still plying his trade for the Memphis Grizzlies, it represented the dark arts he deeply enjoyed. The Grizzlies were a gritty team by nature, and Brooks was indeed a villain. An agent of chaos. A purveyor of destruction.
And for what it’s worth, Brooks has embraced that depiction of himself and what’s come with it — for better or for worse.
So midway through Wednesday’s first quarter, when Amen Thompson muscled his way through contact and finished a tough layup over Gary Payton II — and got directly in his face, yelling out expletives — Brooks could have seized the opportunity to unleash. The Rockets had jumped out to a 27-13 lead in a must-win game, and the Toyota Center crowd was emotionally invested, with cheers reaching higher than the Jumbotron.
Brooks knew of the potential that moment could reach — especially given how the first four games had gone.
As soon as Brooks saw Thompson take another step closer to Payton, he grabbed Thompson’s shoulder, shoving him backwards and away from action. Equanimity, more than anything else in that moment, was paramount. And in a series that has been decided at the margins, Brooks has learned how to channel his energy into a different avenue.
“My energy, my enthusiasm, my passion for the game can override and f— up a game,” Brooks told The Athletic. “I learned that from years of playing in the playoffs and understanding where things went wrong. To win against these guys, you have to be composed at all times. The way they play is very helter-skelter. They’re going to make you play with passion — with Draymond (Green) and Steph (Curry) on that team. Me learning and playing against these guys a lot in my career, being composed is the way to go.”
Brooks’ 24 points — more than any Warriors’ starter in Game 5 — represented Houston’s poised, composed, two-way performance. All five starters scored in double digits (with Fred VanVleet leading the way with 26), and the team shot 55.1 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from 3 and 84.2 percent from the free-throw line. At the other end of the floor, Curry and Jimmy Butler were held to a combined 21 points on 6-of-22 shooting. By the midway point of the third quarter, Warriors coach Steve Kerr pulled the plug, with his team trailing by 30 and looking lifeless.
The Rockets, who came into the night trailing 3-1 in the series, could have easily let go of the rope. And against a team with as much veteran and championship know-how, it wouldn’t have been that surprising. But in Game 5, Houston played desperate and determined at every turn. If Game 4 was a lesson in pain, Game 5’s triumph was a lesson in preservation. Preservation of a game plan designed to slow down Golden State’s two offensive engines. Preservation of an identity that has carried this team from October to April, earning the No. 2 seed in a highly competitive Western Conference. Preservation of, well, themselves.
“All of the above,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Physicality, attention to detail, focus, effort, communication. Things we talked about where you have to be consistent in those areas, we were from the start on both ends.”
Even though Houston proved capable of extending this series, Game 6 will be a bloodbath. The Rockets have been unable to win consecutive games in this matchup, for a myriad of reasons. But if there’s any chance of forcing a Game 7 back on their home turf, the composure seen at both ends of the floor on Wednesday can’t be a one-off.
Take the possession below, which starts with Jalen Green being pressured once again. Even in a blowout loss, the Warriors still refused to allow Green to have the ball in his hands for extended periods. At one point, Green saw a double team in the backcourt shortly after the ball was inbounded — Golden State is fully committed to the cause.
It’s why players like Steven Adams and Alperen Şengün are so important. Adams is arguably the best screen-setter in the NBA, able to use his wide frame almost as a shield, which when timed well can effectively neutralize opposing pressure. Adams’ screen removes Butler from Green’s path and places the much slower Kevon Looney in front of him. But pay attention to Green’s quick change-of-pace dribble, putting the action back toward the weak side of the floor, forcing help and drawing a wide-open Tari Eason. The Rockets don’t appear frustrated or rushed and generate an efficient look. According to Cleaning the Glass, Houston scored a whopping 122.6 points per 100 half-court plays, in the 96th percentile for any playoff game this season, with an effective field-goal percentage of 64.3.
Defensively, the Rockets just looked more like their old self. Patient. Aware. Dangerous. Nothing they did was over the top, but their collective understanding of what the Warriors scheme and what they attempted to run was evident. As dangerous a tactic as this is, Houston has been using the first four games as data collection of sorts, learning Golden State’s tendencies and updating its internal software in real time. Thompson’s impressive defense on Curry will get the most attention — with his five (!) steals at halftime an absurd stat — but the Rockets operated like a well-oiled defensive machine. (Udoka referred to Thompson, arguably the best player on the floor in Game 5, as the “head of the snake” when it comes to defending Curry; expect that to carry over in Game 6.)
Observe as VanVleet motions for Şengün to pre-switch matchups before the ball is inbounded, knowing that Golden State will likely screen for Curry. Draymond Green sprints from the opposite corner to force Şengün on Curry, but the Turkish big does well to contain the Hall of Famer in space, using his length to force a 60-foot prayer. (The fact that Curry’s heave even hit the rim is proof that he’s the greatest shooter who ever graced this planet.)
And it’s not just limited to when Curry is on the floor. Houston’s defense is on the same page, able to toggle between zone and man-to-man depending on where the ball moves and which player has control. Before Game 5, the Warriors’ second unit was fifth among playoff teams in points per game (31.3), significantly more productive than the Rockets’ (21.3), who sit 10th. Per Cleaning the Glass, 95 percent of Golden State’s possessions came in the half court, with Houston’s defense allowing 97.8 points per 100 half-court plays.
“Our focus was great,” Udoka said. “Feels like we’re getting more consistent recognition of what they were doing as the series goes on. Trying to wear them down and take away certain actions. Try to make them make plays and not run plays. When they have to beat us one-on-one, we feel like that’s to our advantage. Everyone was locked in on that tonight, swarming and playing great on both sides.”
The energy in Houston’s locker room after the game told the tale of a confident bunch with self-belief. Sure, the Warriors have Kerr, Curry, Butler and Green. And sure, Chase Center will be as hostile an environment as this team has ever seen, in the biggest game of their lives (as a group). But the Rockets aren’t ready to go into the night. Not just yet. On the way out of Toyota Center, Warriors guard Buddy Hield yelled, “We won’t be back!” Houston will do everything in their power to ensure they will.
“One hundred percent,” Brooks said when asked if the team believes its momentum can carry into San Francisco. “We have the players for it. We have the determination, the coach, the defense to do it. Let’s get to The Bay.”
(Photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
