In a fiercely contested game held in New Orleans on Saturday night, a confrontation between Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams and New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jose Alvarado culminated in both players being ejected during the third quarter. The Suns emerged victorious with a 123-114 win, securing a two-game sweep over the Pelicans in their back-to-back series.
Standing at 7-foot-1, Williams engaged in a physical duel with the 6-foot Alvarado following a defensive play that led to a foul on Alvarado. The sequence began as Alvarado aggressively defended, attempting to navigate through a pick set by Williams to disrupt the effectiveness of Suns' shooter Collin Gillespie, who had an impressive start, hitting his first five 3-point attempts.
During the play, Alvarado pushed Williams aside while maintaining defensive pressure, which resulted in a foul call against him. In reaction, Williams forcefully shoved Alvarado in the back. This act prompted Alvarado to confront Williams verbally, leading to the two exchanging blows. Both players landed punches before teammates and officials intervened to separate them, resulting in their immediate ejection from the game.
There was no involvement from other players in the altercation, which centered solely on Williams and Alvarado.
Postgame comments from Phoenix Suns coach Jordan Ott did not include a detailed review of the footage but suggested that the incident stemmed from the competitive nature of the match and the fatigue faced on the second night of a back-to-back schedule. "I saw it start, and then all of a sudden everyone jumped in," Ott remarked. "Obviously, it happens. It just feels like the lack of sleep the second night of a back-to-back, something always tends to happen. Last night, there were a lot of free throws; tonight there wasn’t as much. They let us play tonight, which is something we enjoy. They got tangled up, and obviously they both got thrown out."
Similarly, Pelicans head coach James Borrego acknowledged that he had not yet reviewed the incident on video. Both involved players were unavailable for comment following the game.
Reflecting on the competitiveness and effort during the match, Suns forward Royce O’Neale described the game as a "dog fight" on both nights, emphasizing the collective determination required for their team’s victory. "It took everybody to get this win. Everybody came in and contributed and fought hard," he stated.