Pelicans

With New Orleans up by nine, Phoenix took exception to Williamson's decision not to dribble out the clock.

[New Orleans Pelicans](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/NO/new-orleans-pelicans/)' 128-117 win over the [Phoenix Suns](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/PHO/phoenix-suns/) on Friday night. Not only did the Suns and Pelicans tussle in last year's playoffs, but they've also been tussling at the top of the Western Conference standings so far this season. Back to the dunk, and what might've led up to it, after the game Williamson said that Phoenix eliminating New Orleans last postseason in a six-game, first-round series was on his mind. [Chris Paul](/nba/players/555969/chris-paul/) and Pelicans guard [Jose Alvarado](/nba/players/2892395/jose-alvarado/) seemed to get into a bit of a shouting/shoving match, and then a whole lot more shouting and shoving ensued, though it appears no punches or significant blows were thrown. "But I was in that locker room and my brothers were down because the Suns sent us home last year. [NBA](/nba/) guard Antonio Daniels saying, "No, no, no!"

Zion Williamson and Jose Alvarado combined for 55 points as the Pelicans won their sixth consecutive game.

"I got carried away a little bit," Williamson said. The Suns took issue with Williamson's slam. With 6:52 remaining in the third quarter, Williamson scored a transition layup despite getting fouled by Suns center Jock Landale. Williamson converted the three-point play at the free-throw line. Booker shot 5 of 17 from the field. When Alvarado came on late in the first quarter, the Pelicans trailed by eight points. Williamson got into the paint at will. The Suns deployed Torrey Craig on Williamson. Alvarado hit three 3-pointers in his first stint on the floor. Alvarado scored 20 points, including 16 in the first half. I guess it’s always going to be a playoff game for us.” Alvarado got battered as he tried to navigate through a screen.

The Phoenix Suns are on the road for a two-game series against the New Orleans Pelicans. Here's some bets to take via experts across the web.

New Orleans pulls away in the second half for a 128-117 home win over Phoenix.

Williamson seemed as intent as he’s been all season to take over a game in the second half Friday, often running the New Orleans offensive attack from the top of the circle, setting up drives around frontcourt defenders who could not keep up with his quickness and athleticism. Meanwhile, Chris Paul of Phoenix had one of his best individual games of the season, notching 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He punctuated the night with a 360-degree lefty breakaway dunk just before the final buzzer. 28 game against the Suns due to injury – finally got his chance to face one of the NBA’s premier clubs. “We talked about it a few days ago in practice, this is like a playoff-like situation where you get to play a team twice and then make adjustments. Zion Williamson spent April watching from the sideline as his teammates scratched and clawed every minute of a first-round playoff series defeat to Phoenix.

Phoenix Suns not only lost a third straight game Friday night, 128-117, at New Orleans Pelicans, but drama spilled over after the game.

If we weren't motivated, I think we definitely are now." "It's a homecourt," Ayton said. "It's probably a sore spot. It was a bunch of guys out there yelling and screaming and not even pushing." "I think it will. "I didn't like the way he was running. "We bumped them in the playoffs last year," Booker said. "He's doing it for his fans. The Suns won the first matchup this season at home back in October, but New Orleans took the rematch Friday on its floor. They can hold the ball." "… "But you gotta understand it, maybe you won’t.

CJ McCollum had 18 points for the Pelicans, who have won six straight and 11 of 13. Larry Nance Jr. added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Jonas Valanciunas ...

The game was a rematch of the first round of last season's playoffs, which Phoenix won. ... I've got to get the guys in the game that are going to be physical and smart enough to handle the pressure that they give you in the paint.'' ... Outscored the Suns 72-38 in the paint. . It's always going to be a playoff game to us because we're never going to let that go until we eliminate them.'' ''We're just giving up way too many points in the paint and in general. It was a bunch of guys out there yelling and screaming and not even pushing. I felt like they should've done the right thing and they didn't. ''Every game we play them is going to be physical, really locked in. ... Craig and Booker had 14 points. ... Shot 51% (46 of 90) but just 8 of 27 from 3-point range. It wasn't that big of a deal. Lately, he's resembled a dynamo, averaging 29.5 points during a six-game Pelicans winning streak - all while New Orleans star forward Brandon Ingram has been out with a foot injury.

Zion Williamson's dunks can shatter glass, break rims and start fights. Friday night, he wished one dunk could change the past.

I admit that. A rivalry was born in the playoffs series, when Paul butchered Alvarado’s name and Alvarado later declared, “he knows my name now,” after he frustrated him defensively in the series. The Suns had plenty of problems with Williamson’s throw-down.

The Suns will be without Jae Crowder, Cameron Johnson and Duane Washington Jr. As for the Pelicans, they have ruled out Brandon Ingram, E.J. Liddell, Kira Lewis ...

Visit ESPN for the game recap of the Phoenix Suns vs. New Orleans Pelicans NBA basketball game on December 9, 2022.

[Jose Alvarado](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4277869/jose-alvarado) came off the bench to add 20 points for New Orleans, which had to hold on in the opener of a two-game series after the Suns hit 15 of their 22 made 3-pointers in the second half to erase a 16-point Pelicans lead. It was a bunch of guys out there yelling and screaming and not even pushing. It wasn't that big of a deal. [Brandon Ingram](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3913176/brandon-ingram) has been out with a foot injury. Lately, he's resembled a dynamo, averaging 29.5 points during a six-game Pelicans winning streak — all while New Orleans star forward I admit that,” Williamson said.

1. The dunk heard 'round the NBA on Friday night came from Smoothie King Center, where Zion Williamson capped off a 128-117 victory for the Pelicans over the ...

No. for the ‘Fantasy Roundup’ talking all things fantasy baseball along with an early fantasy football glance. tip (BSNO) That’s it for today. 9 Florida Atlantic and No. 4 Villanova in the Elite Eight. 1 seed in their region, lost to No. Cinderella stories have life for schools such as No. 9 Miami or No.

The Pelicans defeated the Suns on Friday night and tempers flared as time expired following Zion Williamson's closing dunk.

With every win, this Pelicans team is looking more like a force in the West. In the end, not much actually happened during the faceoff on the floor. And with every performance like this, Zion continues to make his case as a potential MVP candidate. The Pelicans got their sixth win in a row on Friday night behind another sublime performance from Williamson. It’s part of basketball,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “That stuff doesn’t bother me at all, man.

Tempers flared at the end of the game between the two Western Conference frontrunners.

Zion Williamson apologized for his 360-degree, one-handed dunk that angered the Phoenix Suns at the end of a game the New Orleans Pelicans had all but won.

I’ve got to get the guys in the game that are going to be physical and smart enough to handle the pressure that they give you in the paint.” “I felt like there was just no sportsmanship, and we don’t really like that. It was a bunch of guys out there yelling and screaming and not even pushing. “The game was pretty much over, and they just kept playing,” Payne said. I admit that.” I admit that,” Williamson said.

Five takeaways from Phoenix Suns losing a third straight game, falling 128-117 at New Orleans where they'll meet again Sunday at Smoothie King Center.

The Suns want to avoid losing four in a row, something that hasn’t happened since blowing that 2-0 series lead to Milwaukee in the 2021 finals. The intensity is already there between the two and both sides are eager to see each other again. Listen, Phoenix gets in the paint. The Suns were still down four when Booker came back in the game. He goes from that to matching his career high for made 3s in a game. They fell short of that Friday with 38 points, but Williams says his team “plays the same way” as the Pelicans in making the point that they attempted 22 fewer free throws than New Orleans on Friday. Booker can’t be the only one going there. Paul drove to the lane and missed a shot with the shot clock turned off, too. Shooting 2-of-10 in the first half is one thing, but the fire wasn’t there. They ravaged the Suns inside for even more than that Friday – 72 points. rebounded the ball and threw it down the court to Williamson, who would win the dunk contest on that finish alone. The game was over,” Payne said.

The Pelicans' biggest rival, as of Friday night, is now officially the Phoenix Suns. The tension between the two teams is about as high as Zion Williamson was ...

When the game starts, in between those lines, we are going to compete. Assuming both teams continue playing like they have the first part of the season, it’s a rivalry that could pick up some steam, much like the rivalry within the rivalry. They are going to go after it and that’s what happened tonight.” We look forward to the challenges. I was in that locker room when my brothers were down because the Suns sent us home last year. Their feud added a new chapter after the dunk that Williamson says he regrets. We know we can compete with the best. The Pelicans got some revenge, winning 128-117 in an atmosphere that felt more like a playoff game than just a regular-season game in December. Some of the Suns’ players weren’t pleased with the dunk because the game had already been decided. "I felt like there was just no sportsmanship and we don't really like that. Williamson put the exclamation point on the night with a powerful 360-degree windmill dunk with 1.9 seconds left. The Pelicans’ biggest rival, as of Friday night, is officially the Phoenix Suns.