With less than four minutes left in the Lakers’ 115–105 loss to the Suns, Los Angeles guard Patrick Beverley was ejected after shoving Phoenix center Deandre Ayton to the floor. After the game, Beverly fiercely defended his actions, saying he took exception to the way Ayton and Devin Booker acted after Booker fouled L.A.’s Austin 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 after the game, per ESPN.
“I’m not going for that s---,” Beverley continued. “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. Very unfortunate situation though.
