LAKERS GUARD PATRICK BEVERLEY FACING SUSPENSION
5 min readThe NBA slapped Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley with a three-game suspension Friday (Philippine time) after shoving Deandre Ayton of Phoenix Wed, which led to his ejection from the game.
Beverley is fined $268,966, which is about 2.1 percent of his $13 million salary.
He was ejected with only 3:55 remaining in the Lakers’ Tuesday loss to Phoenix at the Footprint Center.
Patrick Beverley incident
Phoenix’s Devin Booker committed a flagrant foul against Austin Reeves of the Lakers. While Reaves was still on the floor after the hit, Ayton went toward him but Beverley came charging in, shoving Ayton.
Beverley and Ayton were both assessed with technical fouls with the former also ejected from the court.
Beverley’s unsportsmanlike behavior during the Lakers-Suns game was not the first time though as he also struck Suns guard Chris Paul from the back in the last Los Angeles Clippers game of their 2021 playoff run.
NBA, in its announcement, said, “The suspension was based in part on Beverley’s history of unsportsmanlike acts.”
In an Associated Press (AP) report, Lakers coach Darvin Ham said, “Tough foul, hard foul, Austin gets knocked down, there’s a little bit of chirping going on with Book and Ayton and some of our guys, and then from what I saw Ayton was just standing there about to walk over him. And then Pat Bev … you don’t want this to be a tough man competition. You actually want to play tough basketball. But at the end of the day, I’m not mad at him. He’s there protecting his teammate… Teams have to know they can’t just push us around.”
Patrick Beverley defends his teammates
Beverley, for his part, said the incident was “very unfortunate” and that he didn’t like Ayton “mean-mugging” Reaves.
“Got a person on the ground, two people looking over mean-mugging and puffing their chest out and referees don’t get into it to kind of separate it, control the game, so I’m going to stand up for my teammate,” Beverley said. “I’m not going for that s–t. Obviously, it’s unfortunate that it happened on national TV. But you know me: Regardless of what’s going on, I’m a big fan of protecting my teammates. … I’m a foxhole guy. I put on the jersey, and I commit to a team, I commit to a city, and it’s kind of my motto. I’m a foxhole guy.
Booker said Beverley must stop pushing people in the back but push them in the chest instead.
Suns head coach Monty Williams called it “silly” when Beverley shoved Ayton in the back, urging the league to take a look at the play.
Anthony Davis monster performance
Amid Anthony Davis’ monster performance (37 points, 21 rebounds, five blocks, and five steals), the Lakers still succumbed to the Suns, 115-105, struggling with a 5-11 record and becoming the only NBA team without a road victory in the ongoing season.
Beverley will miss two road games against San Antonio Spurs and the Indiana Pacers due to the suspension.
Meanwhile, Davis said: “We got each other’s back. Pat is known for that: having his teammates’ backs. … We don’t let anybody stand over our teammate. … That’s disrespectful.”
