The LA Clippers began the first quarter like no other in Game 4 against the Utah Jazz.
You could credit all this to their shot-making, but it all began on the defensive end with Patrick Beverley locking in and inspiring his squad to do the same from the get-go.
Pat Beverley is the heart and soul of this Clippers squad, especially defensively, which is huge praise given the prowess of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
When he came in, he was able to continue the on-ball pressure and make life difficult for Jazz guards Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson to get clean shots off.
Patrick Beverley flexed his muscles on Monday night and gave the LA Clippers an extra edge on the defensive end.
It’s fair to say that Pat Bev isn’t in a lot of peoples’ good books. He is the type of player you just hate playing against, but love when he is on your squad fighting with you.
After missing the majority of the season due to injury, losing his starting spot to fellow point guard Reggie Jackson, and not featuring in any meaningful minutes against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, Beverley has not let that get in his way. He went back to his brilliant defensive self in Game 4.
You could potentially forgive someone for not playing close tight nit defense on the last play of the half, especially being up 24 at the time. Not Pat Bev, he played the full 94 feet, as he is known for. He pressured Mitchell all the way up the floor forcing him to lose the ball.
Then a tough shot was blocked by Pat, sending the Clippers into the half with momentum. This continued with one coming in the 4th when the Jazz were starting to make a little run back at the Clippers late.
This was a playoff-high for Beverley in blocks, with four, which just highlights the work that he puts into his game on that end. When you look at a box score you’re not expecting the back-up point guard to lead the game in blocks.
The Clippers are going to need plenty of that defensive pressure off the bench for the rest of this series. With the likely return of Jazz guard Mike Conley, this will allow the likes of Australian Joe Ingles to come off the bench and run that offense. Beverley needs to lead his squad and uphold the team’s defensive mentality, as the series goes back to Utah tied 2-2.