By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Lakers guard Patrick Beverley was ejected for pushing Suns center Deandre Ayton to the floor late in Los Angeles’ 115-105 loss.
However, the veteran guard said his actions were prompted by how Phoenix players were treating his teammate 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.
With 3:55 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Suns up 106-96, Devin Booker was called for a shooting foul on Reaves, making contact with the second-year player and then standing over him and staring at him. Then Ayton stood over Reaves, at which point Beverley took action.
“I’m not going for that s—,” Beverley said. “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.”
“I really didn’t see much after I got hit in the nose,” Reaves said. “I thought I was bleeding, so I was on the ground. And when I did turnaround, I saw Pat have my back, which I love. Everybody on the team … is the same way. If it was him, we would’ve done the same thing for him.”
“We’re never going to let anyone stand over our teammate or make them feel like they’re not a man,” Antony Davis added. “That’s disrespectful.”