What we learned from the LA Clippers’ win over the Lakers
Patrick Beverley comes up big
Patrick Beverley has zero chill.
Despite being one of the smallest players on the floor at all times, it’s often Beverley that plays the biggest and makes the most crucial plays.
The six-foot, one-inch guard went for two points, a game-high 10 rebounds(!!), six assists and a block against the Lakers last night — perhaps the most Pat line that you’ll see — and was tied with Lou Williams for the second-highest plus/minus rating of the night at +13.
Possession after possession, even when the game came down to its final moments, Beverley was involved in the action. He believed he had a shot with Anthony Davis on a jump ball. He spent some time defending LeBron James. And at a crucial moment late in the game, he grabbed an offensive rebound that James should have been able to secure with ease to help drain some more clock.
It seems strange that a guy who scored just two points was one of the most impactful players of the game, but that’s what we’ve come to expect from Beverley. No matter the opponent, no matter the night, he’s going to give his all. And while it might not always show up in the box score, he arguably does more to help this team win night in and night out than any other player on the roster.
That $40 million deal he agreed to this summer is already looking like a bargain.
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The LA Clippers will return to action Thursday when they travel to San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors in their new arena.