Tempers flared at the end of the game between the two Western Conference frontrunners.
Zion Williamson threw down a 360 windmill dunk in the closing seconds of Friday’s game against the Suns, closing out the Pelicans’ 128–117 victory with authority. However, his opponents didn’t take kindly to the slam.
After Williamson flushed the ball through the hoop with 1.9 seconds remaining, tempers flared as Phoenix players took exception to the 22-year-old’s actions with the win already sealed. Both benches cleared as players and coaches alike were involved in a scuffle on the court.
Among those at the center of the tense exchange were Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, Suns guards Cameron Payne and Chris Paul and coaches from both teams, including New Orleans head coach Willie Green. Security was eventually able to separate the two sides before the situation escalated further.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Payne claimed that the Suns didn’t approve of Williamson’s dunk, saying that he felt there “was no sportsmanship” from the Pelicans player.
“The game was pretty much over, and they just kept playing,” Payne said, per ESPN’s Andrew Lopez. “I felt like there was just no sportsmanship, and we don’t really like that. We do the right thing. I felt like they should’ve done the right thing, and they didn’t. We didn’t take it well, and we don’t like to lose either. The game was over, no shot clock. They can hold the ball.”
Williamson, who finished with a season-high 35 points, admitted that he even felt like his decision to rise up for the acrobatic slam was “out of character.” However, he explained that the Pelicans’ elimination to the Suns in last year’s playoffs contributed to him getting “carried away.”
“That was a little out of character for me,” Williamson said during his postgame press conference. “But you’ve got to understand, I mean, you can understand it or not. They sent my teammates home last year.
“I missed all last year. I got carried away a little bit. I admit that. But you know, I was in that locker room when my brothers were down because the Suns sent us home last year. That’s a tough moment to be a part of. So in that moment, I got carried away. I admit that. … If they were to do the same thing, I wouldn’t have no problem with it.”
With tension surely lingering, the Suns and the Pelicans won’t have to wait long to play one another. The two Western Conference frontrunners will meet again on Sunday afternoon in New Orleans.
