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.
Booker was given a flagrant 1 foul, and Ayton received a technical after the scrum that ensued following Beverley’s shove. Beverley was given a technical and ejected from the game after playing 29 minutes with 10 rebounds and two assists. He went 0-for-2 from the field and did not score in the game.
“Pat needs to stop pushing people in the back,” Booker said during a TNT interview after the game. “Push them in the chest. That’s all I got to say.”
Beverley’s Lakers teammates seemed to appreciate how he stood up for his young teammate, though.
“We got each other’s back. Pat is known for that: having his teammates’ backs,” Lakers forward Anthony Davis said after the game, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “… We don’t let anybody stand over our teammate. … That’s disrespectful.”
Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook was also a fan, saying, “I love it, personally. Protecting and understanding we have each other’s back is the most important thing as a team,” per Buha.
The Lakers, who are currently playing without LeBron James, fell to 5–11 with the loss and sit in 14th place in the Western Conference, while the 11–6 Suns are currently in first place in the West.
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