When you face an opponent multiple times in a row, things are bound to get heated.
That happened in the first-round series between the No. 1 Phoenix Suns and No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
Both teams have gritty, defensive-minded players battling it out, but Suns forward Jae Crowder has developed a reputation of getting into the heads of players and fans during his 10-year career.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Crowder did just that during Game 4 in New Orleans, when Pelicans fans started to chant “F*** Jae Crowder” in a 118-103 win inside Smoothie King Center.
After Phoenix took Game 5, some Pelicans fans took that chant a bit further in Game 6, wearing red shirts that had the phrase printed on them:
Safe to say the move backfired.
Facing elimination with a loss, the Pelicans could not keep up with Chris Paul’s historic shooting performance as Crowder and the Suns advanced to the second round.
During Crowder’s postgame press conference, both he and Devin Booker pulled up in the shirt and got the last laugh:
The Suns now await the winner between the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz as the Pelicans prepare for the 2022 offseason.