Dec 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams (15) against the Los Angeles Lakers at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Suns Center Mark Williams Reacts to NBA Suspension

Originally posted on Phoenix Suns on SI | By Donnie Druin | Last updated Jan 1, 2026 6:39 PM ET

It's been a few days since the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans faced each other -- which resulted in one of the NBA's biggest on-court fights this season.

Mark Williams and Jose Alvarado exchanged blows in the third quarter after getting into a heated exchange, something that saw both players ejected and eventually suspended.

Williams already served that suspension and was back on the court for Phoenix's final game of 2025, though reporters were finally able to speak with Williams for the first time since those incidents took place.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do in that situation, I don't think there's anything I could have not done," Williams told The Arizona Rebublic's Duane Rankin.

"He grabbed me, pushed me. Like what would you do? That's my take on it. ... That was out of left field for me. I don't really have any history with him or anything."

Suns big Mark Williams on one-game suspension for dust up with Jose Alvarado in win over Pelicans: "I don't know what I'm supposed to do in that situation. He grabbed me, pushed me. I don't think what I got is just. I'll appeal it, but it's over, we're past it."

On facing bigs… pic.twitter.com/oWgTmSPA6B
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) January 1, 2026

The NBA offered the following explanation on what happened:

"The incident, which occurred with 2:06 remaining in the third quarter of the Suns' 123-114 win over the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Dec. 27, began when Alvarado committed a defensive foul on Williams, who in turn shoved Alvarado in the back. Alvarado then escalated the incident and the players then engaged in an on-court altercation including punches thrown."

Williams lost $36,072 due to the suspension while Alvarado lost $62,069.

Seemingly everybody had an opinion, which includes Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green -- who knows a thing or two about stirring things up on the court.

“Mark Williams didn't look like he had ever been in a fight in his life,” Green said on the Draymond Green Show. “Now, maybe the opponent was so much shorter than him that his depth perception, like, I don't know. But it looked like he'd never been in a fight in his life, and Jose caught him with a crazy right.

“I'll tell you what, if I'm in a fight though, and my teammates stands behind me and do this. C'mon, man. We can't be doing that. David West used to always tell us, if something goes on on the court, you go over there, because you don't know what's going to happen. I ain't say you gotta go over there and fight, but you at least have to go stand over there, because you don't know what's going to happen."