Announced! NBA imposes heavy penalties! The first intense clash at year-end

Adam Silver: Causing trouble at the end of the year? Severe punishment is necessary.

The NBA officially announced:Pelicans’ Alvarado received a two-game suspension (losing approximately $62,000), and Mawé was suspended for one game (losing about $36,000).

In the recent Suns 123-114 Pelicans match, a heated altercation erupted in the third quarter between Alvarado and Mawé, with both throwing punches, effectively turning the basketball court into a UFC fight zone.

The 1.83-meter Alvarado showed no fear against the 2.16-meter Mawé, seizing the moment to land a swinging punch that could have knocked the big man out if it had connected cleanly.

Observing from behind, Poole’s expression resembled that of a bystander enjoying the drama, perhaps reminding him of past memories.

What memories? Please watch the video replay.

During the 2022 Warriors team practice, Draymond Green landed a heavy punch on Poole, knocking him straight to the ground.

Back to the main point, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen such a physical fight in the NBA. Most of the time, conflicts are limited to shoving and trash-talking. However, the wallets of the involved players will take a huge hit. It shows that fighting in this league comes with a high cost, which is hard for non-max contract players to bear.

Alvarado’s salary this season is only $4.5 million, and Mawé’s is slightly better at $6.33 million...

So far, the Pelicans stand at 8 wins and 25 losses, remaining at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 14% chance at the top draft pick, but their unprotected first-round pick is currently held by the Hawks; the Suns hold an 18-13 record, ranking seventh in the West, 1.5 games behind the sixth-place Timberwolves.

The Suns’ performance this season is surprising. After losing Durant and Beal, they did not fall into the bottom tier but are actually in contention for the playoffs, unlike last season when their star-studded roster was shut out from the postseason.

Dillon, who was traded to the Suns from the Rockets in exchange for Durant during the offseason, has “turned misfortune into fortune” by delivering the best season of his career, currently averaging 21.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, with shooting percentages of 45.9%, 33.3%, and 81.3%, becoming Booker’s best teammate.