Alston, Barnes bounced as Rockets, Suns battle

Nov 13, 2008 - 7:36 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Matt Barnes of the Phoenix Suns and Rafer Alston of the Houston Rockets were ejected from Wednesday's game after a melee with 27 seconds left in the third quarter.

Barnes shoved Alston, who was attempting to set a pick. After Tracy McGrady hit a basket, Alston went at Barnes, sparking a pushing and shoving match.

Steve Nash went after Alston and McGrady pushed the Suns' All-Star guard to the floor. Phoenix center Shaquille O'Neal then reached in and shoved the pile to the floor.

"He (Barnes) took a cheap shot at me. Look at the replay and you see the ref standing right there and watch it," Alston said after his team's 94-82 victory over the Suns. "It was a dirty play. He raised his arm and came in. Good thing he didn't connect to my face and knock my teeth out."

Barnes, naturally, disagreed.

"It was a physical game out there. I tried to get through a screen and I guess I was too rough for them so he (Alston) tried to retaliate," Barnes said. "It was just a bunch of pushing. I didn't think anyone should have been thrown out. There were no punches thrown.

"They didn't call a foul on me I don't know what he (Alston) was thinking. He thinks he's tough. He ran up on me."

When order was restored, Barnes and Alston were ejected and Nash, O'Neal and McGrady had been hit with technical fouls.

"It was just a shoving match. I saw somebody push my brother Steve and so I came to his aid," O'Neal said. "It wasn't anything good. That's what I do, move piles."

McGrady knew he had been moved -- big time.

"I just saw my teammate getting into it and Nash ran up and I was just defending my brother and the next thing I know I was on top of him," McGrady said. "The big fella pushed ... me."