Edwards rips Rockets' Brooks after tussle: 'He plays dirty'

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards sounded off on Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks after the pair got into an altercation during Thursday's game.

"Everybody know how Dillon Brooks is, man. He plays dirty. He's a competitor. I love the competing part, but all the little slick little dirty shit ..." Edwards said after the T-Wolves' 127-114 win, per NBA journalist Dane Moore.

Edwards and Brooks had to be separated after getting tangled up and exchanging words midway through the second quarter. No punches were thrown.

Edwards claimed Brooks drew his ire by hitting him in the face one play earlier.

"He hit me in the face, and then I fell, and then he's like, 'How much crying you gonna do?' I'm like, 'Bro, you hit me in my motherf-----g face, what'd you want me to do?'" Edwards said. "So, you know, I just don't like that part. Don't do something and then act like you didn't do it."

He added, "I love all the competitiveness. Like, we could compete all day, we can talk shit all day, but when you get to doing that, it's more than basketball at that point."

Brooks' chippy style of play has led to numerous incidents with opponents and multiple fines from the league during his career. Edwards pointed out this isn't the first time the two have gotten into a tiff on the court.

"I think, a couple years ago when he was on Memphis he did the same thing, and I reacted the same way," the two-time All-Star said. "I don't mind (when) you compete and grabbing and pushing ... I'm gonna do that back, but the moment you start using your fists and shit. ... We all grown men out here, we ain't finna do that."

The incident seemed to inspire Edwards, who finished with 41 points and became the youngest player in history to reach 1,000 career 3-pointers. After hitting a big shot over Brooks late in Minnesota's victory, he fired some more words in Brooks' direction.

"Once me and Dillon Brooks got into it, the fatigue went out of the way," Edwards said.