2. Thomas denies slam on mom

Boston’s Isaiah Thomas denied again Sunday that he spoke ill about Atlanta guard Dennis Schroder’s mother and his family during Friday’s game in Atlanta. Schroder said Thomas took trash talk to an unacceptable level, charging that Thomas cursed his mother and family.

Boston’s Isaiah Thomas denied again on Sunday that he spoke ill about Atlanta guard Dennis Schroder’s mother and his family during Friday’s game in Atlanta.

While both players now say they are done talking about the incident, the episode will only fuel what has become more than a rivalry between the two backcourt players.

Following the Celtics’ 103101 victory, one in which Thomas hit the game-winning basket with 2.4 seconds remaining, Schroder said Thomas took trash talk to an unacceptable level, charging that Thomas cursed his mother and family.

“I’m playing basketball,” Schroder told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the game. “If he thinks that he got to curse at my mom or say some dumb stuff about my family, that has nothing to do with basketball. That’s his choice. I’ve got too much class for that. Next one, we are going to get it.”

Thomas denied he made such comments on social media the following day, adding that he had to address the alleged comments with his own mother. On Sunday, he spoke to Boston reporters during the Celtics’ off day and again issued a stern denial.

“I don’t talk about nobody’s moms. I don’t cuss at nobody’s moms. I don’t talk about people’s family. So whatever he said, that’s a 100 percent lie and he knows it. How’s that? I always said, ‘Keep it hoop.’ When it comes to basketball, I talk about basketball. I’m going to trash talk. I’m going to compete.

“I’m going to do whatever I can to make my team win a game. But I don’t bring parents into it. I don’t bring family. I don’t even know his mom to curse at her or whatever he is lying about. From this point on, I don’t even want to talk about Dennis Schroder because he’s not even on a level I’m trying to be on. I’m not going to focus on him anymore.”

Schroder said following Sunday’s 111-98 win over the Bucks that he too was done talking about Thomas. But Schroder was also somewhat incredulous when informed Thomas had denied making the insults.

“I’m not going to say anything about it,” Schroder said. “It’s over now. If he’s got to talk about the (expletive), I’m not with that. We are going to see. He got the first one. We are going to see when the next one comes.”

Schroder and Thomas have a history dating back to last season’s Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series. The two got mixed up during Game 3, when Thomas slapped Schroder after scoring a basket. The two had to be separated and were assessed technical fouls.

Thomas had his foul upgraded to a Flagrant Foul I after league review. The Hawks won the series in six games.

On Friday, with the Celtics holding a 20-point lead, Thomas yelled at the Philips Arena crowd several times that Schroder “ain’t nothing.”

The Hawks erased the deficit to tie the game in the final minute before Thomas hit the game-winner. Thomas scored 13 of his team-high 28 points in the fourth quarter.

The two teams, currently third and fourth in the Eastern Conference, meet again Feb. 27 in Boston.