Pelicans Shut Down Suns 'Boo Machine' Theory
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The New Orleans Pelicans just finished off a two-game weekend sweep of the Phoenix Suns. The first game on Friday ended with a Zion Williamson 360 dunk to cap off the win, which also sparked a post-game scrum.
The drama around the budding rivalry went to another level on Sunday when Phoenix announcer Eddie Johnson accused the Smoothie King Center operators of piping in boos directed at Chris Paul.
Dec 11, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) talks to a referee during the first quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
“They are booing, but they got a machine in here that kinda echoes the boos, okay?” Johnson said. “Alright, trust me, this crowd is not as loud as it seems. And they’re loud — I’ll give them respect. But they got a machine in here that’s really working wonders, man. I’ll tell you that right now ’cause I’m looking at people’s mouths, and they’re not saying anything, but yet, it’s a lot of boos.”
Paul played six years in New Orleans to start his NBA career and was named to four All-Star teams during that stretch. However, Paul's dirty plays on Jose Alvarado, including elbows to the throat and ribs, have all but erased any goodwill from the Smoothie King Center faithful.
Chryssi Flores, Senior Manager of Game Experiences for the Pelicans, denied the accusation, tweeting that, "As the person in charge of this aspect of the game I can definitively tell you that those boo’s (sic) came directly from the fans and not from my music operator. Pels fans only get louder with shade."
The team's social media accounts also had some fun at Johnson's expense. There was no denial of a machine per se, just a correction. The 'machine' is a noise maker, it is Zion Williamson. He won the NBA's Western Conference Player of the Week award thanks in large part to his 70 points against Phoenix.
The all-star put in an MVP-caliber performance this December. Over the last week, Williamson averaged 33 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4 assists while making over 70% of his shots.
Johnson's theory on the crowd noise seems out of place considering there were chants from the fans on Friday. The heckling goes back to last season's playoff series. The only remaining question is how the Phoenix fanbase responds.
The teams will face off again on Saturday where the Suns must win in order to avoid losing the season series.
