Patrick Beverley ‘bludgeons’ Suns star on hard foul; refs, announcers roasted for getting it wrong
Pat Bev #PatBev
Clippers guard Patrick Beverley turned heads with yet another questionable foul in Game 6 of Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
Beverley was whistled for a decidedly hard foul over the back of Suns center DeAndre Ayton late in the second quarter. The 32-year-old veteran, known for his dogged defense, wound up and unleashed a wild haymaker-style swipe in an effort to stop Ayton from rising up for a dunk. His stab at the ball missed or only partially connected, and his arm carried down onto Ayton’s head, sending the big man sprawling to the floor in a heap.
The play was reviewed by the referees, and, to the surprise of some on Basketball Twitter, Beverley was not assessed a flagrant foul, which would have been his second in as many games after his takedown of Suns guard Chris Paul in Game 5. Curiously, ESPN announcers Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson both said the play was not a flagrant, even though many on social media disagreed.
Foul aside, the incident marked yet another occasion for Beverley’s critics to express their displeasure with a great defender who seems to play out of control at times. Others, of course, went the humorous route.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram