Saturday night’s matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Phoenix Suns was chippy throughout, and one moment of madness between Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Suns center Mark Williams in the second half took all the attention.

What Triggered the Player Confrontation?

With just over two minutes left in the third quarter, Williams set a screen for a teammate, which Alvarado failed to get past, resulting in a foul call. Alvarado turned around to complain to the officials, but suddenly turned back towards Williams, getting in his chest.

What Happened During the Scuffle?

Williams seemed to shove Alvarado, who then grabbed Williams’ jersey, and as the center tried to push him away, the two started swinging at each other, connecting on punches.

Various officials and teammates had to step in to prevent the altercation from continuing, and both of them were immediately ejected. They now face fines and possible suspensions for the altercation.

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The Suns were up 87-83 at the time of the altercation. Alvarado finished the game with seven points, three assists, and two steals in 14 minutes, while Williams logged 10 points and eight rebounds in 10 minutes. This isn’t the first time Alvarado has gotten into an altercation with a Suns player.

Back in 2022, Alvarado and then-Suns guard Chris Paul got into an argument during their playoff series, with Alvarado making a name for himself for picking up Paul full-court while playing hard on defense.

Coming back to tonight’s game, the Suns ran away with the win after Devin Booker took over late in the fourth quarter. With Phoenix holding a three-point lead midway through the final period, he scored 6 points in a decisive sequence to take control, completing their two-game sweep of the Pelicans.

Phoenix’s depth did the hard work tonight, with seven Suns players logging double-digit scoring. The difference came early, with offensive rebounds, second-chance points, and 11 first-half threes behind efforts from Collin Gillespie, Dillon Brooks and Royce O’Neale.

The Pelicans kept the game competitive, with rookie Derik Queen fueling a third-quarter surge, scoring 10 straight points to cut it down to four, with Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy doing their best to keep New Orleans within striking distance.

Apart from the Williams-Alvarado ejections, tempers flared up after the game ended, but Booker’s late shot-making ensured the night ended without any further drama.

The Pelicans have lost three straight and sit at the bottom of the Western Conference. They will look to bounce back against the New York Knicks to finish out their homestand on Monday, before facing the Chicago Bulls on New Year’s Eve.