Kevin Durant has respect for Patrick Beverley
One of the main things that kept NBA Twitter buzzing during Game 1 was the constant chatter between Patrick Beverley and Kevin Durant, which ultimately ended with an ejection of both players late in the fourth quarter.
Beverley was defending Durant all night, and he wouldn’t let the former MVP get any breathing room — going so far as to cover him from the moment he stepped out of his huddle. It’s the kind of thing we’ve come to expect from Beverley, who has cemented himself as one of the all-time pests in NBA history.
The back-and-forth between the two escalated as the game went on, and they received double technicals on two separate occasions. The latter, by rule, forced them both out of the game.
KD and Pat Beverley got tossed 😳 pic.twitter.com/lBLYACb5pb
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 14, 2019
But make no mistake — at least in the early goings of the banter, Durant and Beverley seemed to be enjoying it. Both players were shown laughing together, and it looked as though the talking was adding to it.
Regardless, Durant finished the night with 23 points, while Beverley went for three points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
After the game was over, Durant was asked what he thought about the whole thing. Rather than trashing Beverley though, he was quick to praise him.
In a video shared by ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly, Durant said that Beverley “plays with a different type of grit” and that it was “fun” going up against him on Saturday night.
As a potential suitor for Durant this summer, the LA Clippers would be wise to highlight Beverley’s intensity and how it matches the team’s identity in any potential pitch.