Patrick Beverley Loses Control and Takes Cheap Shot at Chris Paul in Viral Clip

Chris Paul was at the center of everything in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday night.

The 16-season NBA veteran scored 41 points as the Phoenix Suns defeated the L.A. Clippers 130-103 to win the series. He was also the unwilling participant in an incident that resulted in Clippers guard Patrick Beverley being ejected from the game in the fourth quarter.

As the teams returned toward their benches for a time-out, Paul briefly looked at Beverley before walking past him.

While it is unclear from TV footage whether Paul and Beverley exchanged words, something clearly irked the latter, who proceeded to push the Suns star to the floor with a two-handed shove in the back, sparking a minor fracas on the court.

The referees swiftly intervened and following a brief review of the incident, Beverley was assessed with a technical foul and tossed from the game.

A clip of the incident went viral on social media and had racked up over a million views at the time of writing.

After missing the first two games of the series because of the NBA’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, Paul struggled against his former team in Game 3 and Game 4, when he shot a combined 11-for-41 from the field.

The 36-year-old, however, rolled back the years in Game 6, finishing with 41 points, eight assists and four rebounds, while shooting 16-of-24 from the field to steer the Suns back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993 and ensure the Clippers’ wait for a Western Conference title will continue for another 12 months at least.

Trailing by 17 points in the third quarter, the Clippers embarked on a 10-0 run to bring themselves within striking distance of the Suns at a frenzied Staples Center. Just as a memorable comeback looked on the cards, Paul silenced the crowd as Phoenix scored eight unanswered points and took a 14-point lead into the final quarter.

Los Angeles Clippers’ Patrick Beverley and Phoenix Suns’ Chris Paul in action during Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals.

He then poured in another 19 points in the final period to secure his first appearance in an NBA Finals, which felt long overdue. Of the players to never appear in the NBA Finals, nobody has scored more points over their careers than Paul, nor earned more All-Star appearances and All-NBA selections—the Suns point guard is an 11-time All-Star, a four-time All-NBA First Team selection and a five-time All-NBA Second team selection.

“I was on a don’t-lose mission,” Paul told ESPN after the game. “Just a lot of emotion. A lot of [things] going on. […] I’m just so happy for all the people around me and the Clippers are my family, too. These fans, Billy Crystal, that’s my family. This is a team I have the utmost respect for, I’ll always be a Clipper.”

The Suns, who have only played in two NBA Finals before, will face either the Atlanta Hawks or the Milwaukee Bucks, who are tied at 2-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Patrick Beverley pushes Chris Paul during the fourth quarter of Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals at the Staples Center on June 30 in Los Angeles, California. Beverley was ejected from the game. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images