When the Golden State Warriors take on the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of their first-round playoffs series on Wednesday night, they'll have a bit of extra motivation.
The Warriors snatched Game 1 in a thrilling 95-85 victory over Houston, with the Rockets having no answers for the star duo of Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler. Houston's own offense struggled all game long, committing 17 turnovers and shooting just 20% from beyond the arc, and the team's usually dependable shot-makers like Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green had themselves a night to forget.
Game 1's setback aside, Rockets forward Dillon Brooks is still oozing confidence and recently opened up about his thoughts on the feisty playoff series to Logan Murdock of The Ringer.
Brooks gave the Warriors their flowers for their dynastic successes of the past, but used a two-word phrase to describe them that could age very, very poorly in the next few days.
Murdock wrote:
I ask Brooks how he views the Warriors. “Stepping stone,” he says. “Brilliant team. Championship franchise. A stepping stone for us.”
Brooks, brimming with undeterred ambition, went on to share his hopes for the Rockets in 2025 and beyond.
“We want to win championships,” he responded. “We want to do what [Hakeem] Olajuwon did, the guys before us. They’ll see when we honor them for winning two championships. That’s the legacy we want.”
Quite the bold statement coming from someone who has yet to make a conference finals appearance in his eight-year NBA career—the farthest Brooks has gotten is the conference semifinals with the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2021-22 season.
But, what Brooks and the Rockets lack in playoff experience, they arguably make up for in athleticism and doggedness. Game 2 between the Rockets and Warriors will be the true test of whether Brooks and his team can back up their talk.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rockets’ Dillon Brooks Just Gave the Warriors Bulletin Board Material in the Playoffs.