Pelicans' Jose Alvarado, Suns' Mark Williams Suspended After Fight on Video

The NBA is suspending New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado for two games and Phoenix Suns big man Mark Williams for a game after the pair got into a scuffle during Saturday's matchup between the teams.

The pair got into it after Williams set a pick on Alvarado and the guard pushed him away and was called for a foul. Alvarado complained to the referee briefly before doubling back to Williams, who had pushed him in the back. The pair came together and both elbows and punches were thrown.

The Suns won the game, 123-114.

It was the second game of a back-to-back matchup between the teams. The Suns also beat the Pels on Friday, 115-108.

"I saw it start, and then all of a sudden everyone jumped in," Phoenix head coach Jordan Ott told reporters after the game regarding the dust-up. "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."

It would be understandable if frustrations were mounting in New Orleans.

The team is just 8-25 and headed back to the lottery, a dispiriting outcome given that the team doesn't own its 2026 first-round pick in a draft class loaded at the top. After a five-game winning streak, the team has lost three straight. Franchise cornerstone Zion Williamson is coming off the bench, which seems to serve the dual purpose of limiting his minutes, given a long injury history and also allowing the team's younger players to operate in a bigger role (even if it ultimately feels like the precursor to an inevitable divorce between the parties).

Meanwhile, the Suns have been one of the NBA's most pleasant surprises this season. The team was expected to struggle after moving on from Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal but instead has started 18-13 behind its guard-heavy roster.

The Pelicans and Suns are teams heading in opposite directions. That came to a metaphoric head on Saturday.