"Gonna play him until he dies out there": Fred VanVleet praises $25,200,000 'caveman' for roughing up Draymond Green and Co.

The Houston Rockets leveled their series against the Golden State Warriors at 3-3 with a clutch Game 6 road win on Friday. Steven Adams played a pivotal role in the victory, dominating the glass and using his physicality and defensive intensity to disrupt Steph Curry and the Warriors’ rhythm.

Following the win, Rockets guard Fred VanVleet praised Adams’ impact over the last two games. The former NBA champion didn’t hold back, using carefully chosen words to emphasize just how instrumental the veteran big man, who is on a two-year, $25,200,000 contract, has been in shifting the momentum of the series.

"He is the ultimate man, he's just an enforcer down there," VanVleet said on SportsCenter. He's like a big caveman in this era of small basketball. An old big just roughing everybody up. He is impacting us on a historic level. We're gonna play him until he dies out there."

Steven Adams' return and elite play have become one of the defining stories of this series. The former OKC Thunder big man has showcased impressive versatility in ball-screen coverages on defense and has been exceptional as a screener on offense.

The numbers speak for themselves as the Rockets are +53 with Adams on the floor and -39 without him. He currently leads the series in both blocks and plus/minus, underlining just how crucial he’s been to Houston’s success.

Steven Adams' all-round brilliance stuns Warriors in Game 6

Steven Adams was the first player off the bench for the Houston Rockets in Game 6 and he fully justified the trust coach Ime Udoka has placed in him. The 6-foot-11 center delivered a strong all-around performance, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds, one steal and three blocks in 31 minutes. He was perfect 4 of 4 from the field and went 9 of 16 from the free-throw line.

Even Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green couldn’t help but praise Adams’ impact, particularly in Game 6. Following Friday’s loss, Green admitted the Rockets big man has been “incredible” throughout the series and has made things significantly tougher for the Warriors.