The first-round series between the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors is easily the most physical and heated one in the playoffs thus far. Both teams have been going at each other from the start, and that further escalated in Game 2 between two competitive veterans, Draymond Green and Fred VanVleet. While they were in the midst of talking smack, FVV issued a warning for Dray.

FVV and the Rockets aren’t backing down

VanVleet’s warning came right after Jimmy Butler suffered a hard fall that reportedly caused him to have a deep glute muscle contusion. This injury has jeopardized the Warriors forward’s status for Game 3, which could be a significant disadvantage for Golden State moving forward—especially since it seems this series has gotten even more competitive after the Rockets’ 109-94 victory in Game 2.

Aside from Jalen Green finding his groove in Game 2, what helped the Rockets bounce back was that they matched the Warriors’ physicality and proved that they aren’t going to be pushovers, contrary to how they played in Game 1. VanVleet and his backcourt running mate, Dillon Brooks, are making that clear as the veterans of this young H-Town team.

Good on the Rockets for showing fight

What the Rockets guard did — standing up for his team and going head-to-toe with Draymond — was something that this Houston squad really needed in Game 2, especially since it was a must-win game. This H-Town team knows they’re at a disadvantage in terms of playoff experience, and going up against a team with seasoned veteran All-Stars like Green, Butler, and Steph Curry is a tough task. In Game 2, the youngsters fought fire with fire.

Now, it’ll be interesting to see how Golden State responds. If they don’t have Butler, which is a huge possibility, then more pressure will be put on the NBA’s all-time leading three-point shooter to carry his team’s offensive workload. Note that without Butler, Curry shot just 6-16 from the field last game, as he got most of the attention on defense. Whether or not “Jimmy Buckets” suits up, the Dubs will need one or two more of their rotation players to step up.

At the very least, the Warriors have snatched home-court now, and if there’s one thing we all know about their crowd, it’s that they’re going to match the same energy Rockets fans had in Game 2 — when they showered Green with “f*ck you” chants. While the four-time champion admitted that he was unfazed by the expletive-riddled taunts, there’s no doubt that this sparked more fire in him and the team, which should add more fuel to the fire.

Only time will eventually tell how the Warriors respond. Will Vanvleet’s statement that Golden State should pray Jimmy comes back to be true? Or will they be able to handle business with or without their second-best player? We’ll know on Saturday.