The NBA’s first-year head of basketball operations, James Jones, wasted no time disciplining the Phoenix Suns‘ center Mark Williams.
The league announced on Sunday, Dec. 28, that Williams will serve a one-game suspension, and the New Orleans Pelicans‘ Jose Alvarado got a two-game suspension for their fight on Dec. 27.
Williams and Alvarado traded punches, which resulted in their Flagrant 2 fouls and automatic ejections, with 2:06 left in the third quarter of the Suns’ 123-114 win in New Orleans.
That was the Suns’ second of back-to-back games in New Orleans, which the Suns (18-13) won both.
The 7-foot Williams will be out for the Suns’ next game against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 29. He’s the Suns’ top rebounder and shot-blocker, averaging 8.2 and 0.9 per game in those categories, with 13.1 points in his 23 appearances this season. Williams is also currently the league’s third-best in field goal percentage at 66.5%.