Rockets take on Warriors on the road, looking to force winner-take-all Game 7

On Wednesday night, the Houston Rockets extended their series against the Golden State Warriors with a Game 5 victory.

Now, they need to do it again—this time, in Golden State’s building.

Friday night, the squads will meet once again at the Chase Center in San Francisco, where the Rockets have yet to win a game during this series.

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It’s not like Houston didn’t have a chance to steal one on the road, either. In Game 3, Warriors’ star forward Jimmy Butler was sidelined with a pelvic contusion, leaving the Dubs severely hampered on both sides. Despite this situation, the team outscored Houston 35-22 in the fourth quarter to churn out a 104-93 win.

Butler returned for Game 4, but the Rockets were still able to maintain a narrow lead for a majority of the contest. However, a wide discrepancy in free throw percentage proved to be the difference in a mutually stressful 109-106 Warriors‘ win (Golden State shot 90.9% from the line to Houston’s 61.2%).

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Those back-to-back blunders put the Rockets’ backs against the wall, setting the stage for a win-or-go-home Game 5 at Houston’s Toyota Center.

Facing more pressure than most of the Rockets’ young stars had ever experienced at the professional level, they answered the call. The Rockets blew the doors off of the Warriors, cruising to a 131-116 win that saw the Rockets lead by as many as 31 points.

FULL RECAP: Rockets hold off Warriors in 131-116 win to extend series

That blowout win didn’t come without its share of controversy, though. In a series that has been marred by fights, scuffles and overall animosity, Game 5’s antics were arguably the most noteworthy.

Warriors star Stephen Curry has dealt with an injury to his right thumb throughout this series (seriously, it’s very swollen).

After Game 5, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr insinuated that Rockets’ forward Dillon Brooks was intentionally contacting the area of the hampered finger while closing out on shots.

Kerr said that, while he understands that making contact with a shooters’ arms after the shot has left their hands is currently legal, he expects the league to change the rule soon.

“It’s only a matter of time before someone breaks a thumb or breaks a hand or whatever,” Kerr said.

In Kerr’s defense, Brooks didn’t exactly deny the allegations in the postgame press conference after Game 5. While he didn’t explicitly admit to targeting Curry, he said he understands the strategy in that approach.

“If I had an injured ankle, I would attack that ankle every single time. So, whatever they’re saying on the broadcast, they can keep saying it.”

The officials have been fairly consistent with their “Let-Them-Play” approach to calling fouls throughout the series, as they’ve swallowed their whistles on contact that isn’t obvious or egregious.

In lieu of these comments from the Warriors—and Brooks’ casual attitude towards the situation—it will be interesting to see if the whistles are a little more sensitive in Game 6.

The Rockets lived to see another game, but a must-win Game 6 on the road will determine whether or not they’ll have the chance to close it out at home.