Rockets News: 1 Bold accusation, and another bold proclamation

The Houston Rockets play hard. That's their reputation, and they live up to it.

For some, they play too hard. The word "dirty" is a dirty word in NBA circles - well, it's a dirty word in any circle, I guess. Still, the accusation that a team is employing dirty tactics is a serious one.

It's an accusation that's been leveled against the Rockets.

Rockets accused of trying to injure star player

If one Rocket is most likely to be accused of dirty play, we all know who it is. Amen Thompson's physicality is also ruffling feathers, but let's be transparent:

It's Dillon Brooks.

To hear the Warriors tell it, he's up to his old tricks. The Warriors adamantly believe that Brooks is trying to aggravate Steph Curry's thumb injury.

"It's pretty obvious"

-Draymond Green

Allow me some moral indignation. Brooks has perhaps pushed the boundary between physical and illegal play before. There aren't too many players in the NBA who'd be hypocrites to accuse him of dirty play:

Draymond Green is one of them.

It has to be said. Green is one of the dirtiest players in NBA history. There's no reason to mince words. This is a player with a reputation for kicking opposing players in the family jewels.

Is Brooks trying to worsen Curry's injured thumb? Or, is he trying to aggressively close out the best shooter in the history of the sport? Curry has a unique gift that can only be mitigated with extreme tactics. The Rockets will do whatever they can to limit his three-point shooting. As long as they play within the rules, that should be expected.

Unfortunately, he's not the only star player they've had to contend with in this series.

Warriors to feature Jimmy Butler more prominently

That said, Jimmy Butler hasn't looked the part of a superstar in this series.

He's been solid. Butler is averaging 15.8 points per game with a True Shooting % (TS%) of 58.3%. That's fine, but it's also a level of production the Rockets will live with.

Steve Kerr says the plan is to get him more involved in Game 6.

"(Jimmy Butler) got lost in the shuffle."

- Steve Kerr

One can deduce that this means Kerr would like to get Butler more involved in Game 6. That's concerning for the Rockets. The man known as "Playoff Jimmy" is a legend.

The Rockets need to be mindful of Butler. That doesn't mean overhauling their game plan. They've managed to contain the star wing throughout this series. The Rockets should continue to guard him as they have:

And do everything (legal) in their power to contain Steph Curry.