The game between New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns left an image that went around the world: José Alvarado and Mark Williams traded punches at midcourt and were ejected, in one of the most controversial episodes of the 2025-2026 NBA season.
The incident occurred just over two minutes before the end of the third quarter. The tension had already been building since the first game of the series (two consecutive regular-season games, both in New Orleans) and exploded during a Suns offensive possession. Williams set a screen near the three-point line and Alvarado pushed him with both hands to break free, a play that resulted in a personal foul.
While the Puerto Rican point guard was protesting to the referees, he received a shove in the back from the visiting power forward. The response was immediate: both walked toward the center of the court and began to exchange blows. The cameras captured a punch from Alvarado that landed on Williams's face, who is 2.16 meters (7 feet 1 inch) tall compared to the local player's 1.83 (6 feet), a physical difference that did not prevent the fight.
