Phoenix Suns @ New Orleans Pelicans
Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 7:00 PM ET
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA | Game ID: 22500434
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
NOP 33 22 30 29 114PHX 32 33 28 30 123
ESPN UpdateESPN Update
Booker leads Suns past Pelicans 123-114 after Alvarado and Williams exchange punches in testy game
NEW ORLEANS -- — Devin Booker scored 20 points, including two clutch jumpers down the stretch, and the Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 123-114 on Saturday night for a two-game sweep of their back-to-back set.
Booker led seven Suns in double figures. Dillon Brooks had 18 points, Collin Gillespie scored 17, Jordan Goodwin added 16 and Royce O’Neale finished with 15.
Trey Muphy III had 24 points for the Pelicans, and Zion Williamson scored 22 off the bench on 8-of-11 shooting. Rookie center Derik Queen had 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Jeremiah Fears scored 18 and Saddiq Bey finished with 17.
The game got chippy in the third quarter after New Orleans went on a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to 73-71. Following a whistle, Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Phoenix center Mark Williams exchanged punches. Both were ejected.
The two tangled after the 7-foot-1 Williams set a ball screen on the 6-foot Alvarado, who pushed Williams out of the way. After the whistle, Williams shoved Alvarado in the back, and a fight ensued.
With the Suns resting their starters early in the fourth quarter, Jamaree Bouyea scored 10 straight points, capped by a 3-pointer from the right baseline, to give Phoenix a 107-95 lead with 7:01 left.
The Pelicans used an 11-1 spurt, capped by Williamson’s two free throws, to pull to 108-106. But the Suns answered with seven straight points — five by Booker — to regain control.
Bouyea finished with 12 points and Williams had 10.
Just as they did in their 115-108 victory over New Orlewans on Friday night, the Suns dominated the boards, especially in the first half when they built a 65-55 lead. Phoenix outrebounded New Orleans 36-20, including 17 offensive rebounds that led to a 24-9 edge in second-chance points.
Gillespie made all five of his 3-point attempts in the first half — four in a four-minute span of the second quarter.
Phoenix finished 20 of 44 from long range after going 8 of 40 on Friday.
Up next Suns: Visit the Washington Wizards on Monday night.
Pelicans: Host the New York Knicks on Monday night.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
PHXCG C. Gillespie
DB D. Booker
DB D. Brooks
IL I. Livers
JB J. Bouyea
JG J. Goodwin
MW M. Williams
NR N. Richards
OI O. Ighodaro
RF R. Fleming
RO R. O'Neale
NOPBM B. McGowens
DQ D. Queen
JA J. Alvarado
JF J. Fears
JP J. Poole
MP M. Peavy
SB S. Bey
TM T. Murphy III
YM Y. Missi
ZW Z. Williamson
PHX/NOP the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur