The NBA preseason matchup between the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans in Birmingham, Alabama, witnessed drama when Amen Thompson and Jose Alvarado got into a heated physical altercation midway through the second quarter.
The clash began when Alvarado, losing his footing during a rebound attempt, grabbed onto Thompson’s jersey to keep himself from falling. Thompson reacted sharply, attempting to shove the Pelicans guard away. The moment escalated quickly. Alvarado pushed back, stumbled, and in the heat of the moment, Thompson retaliated with a forceful shove. What followed was a brief but tense scuffle between the two fiery guards before teammates from both sides rushed in to separate them.
Amen Thompson has a history of fiery on-court incidents. Back in February, during a game against the Bucks, his attempt to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo from an easy dunk turned aggressive. As Giannis spun and faked under the basket, Thompson went for the block but ended up grabbing Giannis around the head and neck, pulling him down.
On the other hand, back in February last year, Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado was suspended for three games for leaving the bench during an on-court fight.
Did both players receive punishment?
Following the scuffle, officials reviewed the incident and handed out penalties to both players. Alvarado received a technical foul for instigating contact, while Thompson was assessed a flagrant 1 for retaliating. Despite the flare-up, Thompson and Alvarado shook hands and shared a hug, signaling that the incident would not carry over into the regular season.
The Rockets edged out a narrow 130–128 win over the Pelicans, with standout performances from Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, and Yves Missi. Thompson finished with 21 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while Alvarado contributed eight points, three rebounds, and two assists.
