Mark Williams Ejected From Suns vs Pelicans After Fighting Jose Alvarado

PHOENIX -- Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams has been ejected from Saturday night's contest against the New Orleans Pelicans.

With 2:06 left in the third quarter, Alvarado fought through a screen and was initially called for a foul.

Alvarado then made contact with Williams (who did shove Alvarado first), and the two exchaged shoves/punches before being ejected.

After the officials reviewed it, Williams and Alvarado were both assessed fighting technical fouls. Alvarado also picked up a foul prior to the brawl.

JOSE ALVARADO VS MARK WILLIAMS

FEATHER WEIGHT VS HEAVY WEIGHT BOUT pic.twitter.com/2H80S9mB42
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) December 28, 2025

Nick Richards entered the game for Williams.

The Suns have led for most of the game, and tonight's physicality undoubtedly has matched last night's win for Phoenix.

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Williams actually was questionable ahead of tonight with right knee injury management before being given the green light. This is the first time all season he's played in a back-to-back.

He departs Smoothie King Center with ten points in eleven minutes to pair with eight rebounds. Alvarado leaves with seven points, three assists and two steals off the bench in 14 minutes.

Oddly enough, Dillon Brooks picked up his first foul halfway through the third quarter and hasn't been a true nuisance on the court.

Both the Suns and Pelicans have previously prided themselves on being scrappy.

"They were physical. Defensively, they really turned it up in the 2nd half. Totally different ball game," said Suns coach Jordan Ott after Friday's win in New Orleans.

"They really got after us, but we were able to find a way."

Tonight has been much of the same for Ott's crew, though Phoenix has played a physical brand of basketball all season long -- so much to the point where Ott previously has admitted the Suns would never be considered a low-foul team.

“We’re not going to be a low foul team. We’re going to defend to the legal limit (and) we know that comes at a cost," Ott said previously.

While Williams hasn't quite been known to be a hot-head, Alvarado very much owns the role of being a pesky defensive presence who is never afraid to mix things up.

If you'll recall, he got into it heavy with former Suns guard Chris Paul during the Suns-Pelicans playoff series back in 2022.

"We're gonna want to compete. We know how they're gonna compete with us. We know the tension's there and we like it," Alvarado previously said of his rivalry with Paul.

Even without the legendary point guard on the roster, there's no love lost.