Zion Williamson's 360 windmill dunk at the end of the game causes fight between the players and coaches for being "disrespectful"

Zion Williamson’s patented and rim-rattling 360 windmill dunk brought the Smoothie King Center crowd to its feet in loud cheers and whistles. The Phoenix Suns didn’t like it at all, as the game was already decided, and they felt disrespected by the move.

The New Orleans Pelicans were comfortably ahead 126-117 with eight seconds left in the game after Chris Paul missed a point-blank layup. Larry Nance Jr. grabbed the rebound off the miss and threw an outlet pass to Williamson, who leaked out to the other side.

With the hometown crowd egging him on, “Zanos” obliged the Pelicans’ thousands of fans watching the game:

After the ferocious but graceful slam, Zion Williamson hyped up the crowd by flexing and roaring to his teammates. The gesture capped off the Suns’ frustrations with Chris Paul going after Jose Alvarado before officials and Pelicans coach Willie Green separated them.

Green himself got into a heated argument with one of Phoenix’s coaches. Several players and staff from both teams were seen taunting and shoving each other midcourt just after the game ended.

Last season, the top-seeded Suns faced the eighth-seeded Pelicans in the first round of the 2022 playoffs. Zion Williamson, who didn’t play the entire season, watched helplessly as Phoenix eliminated New Orleans in a heated series.

Without Williamson, the Pelicans surprisingly tested the Suns, who had Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton in the lineup. New Orleans lost, but not before a few testy exchanges, particularly between “CP3” and Jose Alvarado.

The rematch on Sunday, which will still be played in New Orleans, will be a game that basketball fans should encircle on their calendars. Zion Williamson, who dropped a game-high 35 points against the Suns, will be a marked man.

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Zion Williamson admits to being “carried away” when he decided to put an exclamation point to the game

Zion Williamson will be a marked man on Sunday's rematch between the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans.

Zion Williamson rightly owned up to his mistake after the game in a postgame interview. Unlike some stars, he didn't sugarcoat his words:

“That was a little out of character for me. I got carried away a little bit. I admit that. But I was in that locker room when my brothers were down because the Suns sent us home (from the playoffs) last year.

"That's a tough moment to be a part of. So, in that moment got carried away. I admit that.”

In a playoff loss to the Phoenix Suns last season, the Pelicans lacked the firepower to go toe-to-toe with a 64-win team. New Orleans relied on hustle and grit to compensate for the apparent disadvantage in superstar talent.

New Orleans reportedly wanted to bring out "Zanos" for the playoffs after missing the entire regular season but thought it better not to. They eventually decided not to rush their superstar, erring on the side of caution to get the most out of him this season.

It looks like they made the right decision, as the former Duke standout is off to another spectacular season. He is averaging 23.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 steals in 19 games. Williamson remains nearly unstoppable around the basket and has lost none of his explosiveness.

More importantly, Zion Williamson’s competitive fire will not be something the New Orleans Pelicans will curb. He’s been accused before of being disengaged and uninterested. The late-game dunk that already had some repercussions showed that he greatly cares and is ready for more.