Jan 1, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Sacramento Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas (22) goes up for a shot against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Thomas not only refused to back down on the court, having to be separated by teammates, but also fired away in the press – claiming Villanueva to be a “dirty” player:

“No, it was just the fact that it was a dirty play and he’s a dirty player,” Thomas said. “It is what it is. He got kicked out of the game, so it wasn’t nothing big. A lot of guys do stuff like that knowing you can’t really fight in this league, so it’s all right.”

Not to be outdone, the Piston forward mouthed back recently in the Detroit Free Press, mocking Thomas’ size (shocking) and lack of game:

“He has less than 100 games? I didn’t even know that. He was a rookie last year? I didn’t even know that. Shows how much I know about him,”

…

“Dirty player? Not at all,” Villanueva said. “He saw an open lane, I tried to block the ball and he’s 4-foot-11, a 100 pounds wet so he looks bad. I’m not a dirty player. I didn’t try to hurt him at all.”

Certainly no love lost between the two.

Also of note – the actual altercation didn’t begin with the foul as on the Kings’ previous trip down the court, Thomas, who had the ball stolen from behind, was pushed by Villanueva, clearly irritating Thomas in the process. Then moments later the hard foul took place, resulting in the frustration boiling over.

For those that missed the foul, you can watch below, thanks to watchnba201213: