Suns Outraged at Patrick Beverley's Shove
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The Phoenix Suns emerged to a 115-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, accomplishing a couple feats in the process.
The Suns are still just one of three teams in the western conference with six losses. Phoenix also defeated Los Angeles for a fifth consecutive time dating back to their series last season. They also managed to stop a three-game winning streak the Lakers were on before stepping into the Footprint Center on Tuesday night.
Yet none of those have anchored themselves as talking points, thanks to Patrick Beverley.
With 3:55 left in the game, Devin Booker believed he got a clean block on Austin Reaves. A foul was called, and there was a bit of a stare down from Booker that followed.
Deandre Ayton walked over, and Beverley took exception to that.
Beverley was assessed a double technical and was thrown out of the game after review.
It's something plenty of people in the basketball world - which includes Suns head coach Monty Williams - happens too often.
“I just think it’s happening too many times. I just think the league needs to take a look at those kinds of plays; they’re just unnecessary. There was obviously some tension but with us, it’s happening too many times and when you push a guy when he’s not looking like that, it’s just not called for. There’s going to be physicality, there’s going to be tension in games, that’s just the nature of basketball," Williams told reporters following the game.
"When you have big, strong guys hitting each other the whole game, if you’re standing face-to-face with a guy and you have words or you may tussle a little bit, that’s normal for the NBA, but continuing to do that, it’s just out of control. It’s just happening to us too many times and so yeah, the league, they threw him out of the game, but it’s just getting kind of silly now to the point where you just kind of get your guys out of the way and say, ‘Guys, let’s just go win the game.’ But it is just getting silly, that’s the only the word I can come up with.”
Booker also talked with media after the game and said “You try your best. NBA games, you don’t expect that to go down. So many more opportunities that we see each other than out there on the court. It is an emotional game. I would say things like that happen but not very often. Especially a push in the back.
"That is what I spoke on in my postgame interview on the court. I would have a lot more respect if he just pushed him in the chest when a man is facing him. It is what it is.”
Needless to say, the Suns took exception on what transpired on Tuesday.
The two teams meet next on Monday, Dec. 19 back in Phoenix.
Be sure to grab the popcorn.
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