A heated on-court brawl led to the ejections of Phoenix Suns centre Mark Williams and New Orleans Pelicans guard José Alvarado during their NBA clash on Saturday night. The incident, which saw punches thrown, erupted in the third quarter of a game ultimately won by the Suns 123-114.
The Fight: How It Unfolded
The altercation began following a foul called on Alvarado. The Pelicans' aggressive defender was attempting to fight through a ball screen set by the towering Williams to pressure Suns sharpshooter Collin Gillespie, who had hit his first five three-point attempts. Alvarado pushed Williams while playing defence, drawing the foul. Williams then retaliated by shoving Alvarado in the back.
Alvarado immediately turned to confront Williams, words were exchanged, and the two players quickly grabbed each other and began throwing punches. Both landed right-handed blows before teammates and officials rushed in to separate them. The officials had no choice but to eject both players from the contest. No other players were involved in the physical scuffle.
Coach Reactions and Fatigue Factor
In the aftermath, both head coaches admitted they had not yet reviewed the video footage. Phoenix Suns coach Jordan Ott suggested the intensity and schedule played a part. "I saw how it started and, suddenly, everyone jumped in," Ott said. "Obviously, it's what happens. It's like the lack of sleep on the second night of a back-to-back, something always tends to happen."
Ott contrasted the officiating from the previous night's game, noting, "Last night there were a lot of free throws. Tonight there weren't as many. Tonight they let us play, which is something we like. They got tangled up and, obviously, both were ejected." New Orleans Pelicans coach James Borrego also stated he had not seen the replay, and neither player was available to speak with journalists post-game.
Game Context and Team Response
The fight overshadowed a significant victory for the Suns, who completed a two-game sweep of the back-to-back series set in New Orleans. The win was a hard-fought team effort, as highlighted by Suns forward Royce O'Neale.
"Yesterday was a dogfight, and today was a dogfight," O'Neale said, emphasising the physical nature of both contests. "Everyone threw themselves into getting this win. Everyone has contributed and fought hard." The incident, while dramatic, was contained to the two players, allowing the game to resume and conclude without further major disruption.
