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Brawl Breaks Out During Rockets-Pelicans Preseason Game

Originally posted on The Spun  |  By Chris Rosvoglou  |  Last updated Oct 14, 2025 10:31 PM ET

There were fireworks during Tuesday night's preseason game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Houston Rockets.

During the second quarter of the game, Rockets forward Amen Thompson got into an altercation with Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado. It all started with them battling for a rebound.

From the broadcast angle, it looked like Alvarado fell over Thompson. The talented Houston guard who earned NBA All-Defensive Team honors last season responded by pushing Alvarado to the ground.

It certainly looked like Thompson and Alvarado were ready to throw punches, but this skirmish was quickly broken up by those already on the court.

Oct 14, 2025; Birmingham, Alabama, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones (2) works past Houston Rockets guard-forward Amen Thompson (1) during an NBA preseason game at Legacy Arena at BJCC. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The referees gave Alvarado a technical foul. Thompson, on the other hand, was issued a flagrant 1 foul.

Despite how ugly this situation looked, neither player was ejected.

Here's the altercation that took place at Legacy Arena:

Will the NBA suspend Alvarado and Thompson?

As of now, it's unclear if the NBA will discipline Alvarado and Thompson for their roles in Tuesday's fight.

Since neither player was ejected, the NBA will probably take things a bit easy on the Pelicans and Rockets.

Make no mistake though, behavior like this won't fly in the regular season. After all, that would make Alvarado and Thompson repeat offenders.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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