The NBA has suspended Lakers point guard Patrick Beverley for three games without pay, the league announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
As we detailed on Wednesday, Beverley shoved Suns center Deandre Ayton in the back while the Phoenix center was standing over Lakers guard Austin Reaves during the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s 115-105 Suns victory. This led to a brief on-court fracas between the two clubs. Beverley was instantly ejected, while Ayton was assessed with a technical foul.
According to the NBA’s announcement, the suspension was “based in part on Beverley’s history of unsportsmanlike acts.”
Back when he was a member of the Clippers, Beverley shoved Suns point guard Chris Paul in the back during a stoppage in play in Game 6 of the 2021 Western Conference Finals. He received a one-game suspension for that incident.
Beverley’s teammates and head coach Darvin Ham defended him after Tuesday’s game and gave him credit for standing up for a teammate, but there was a sense that a suspension could be in play. Ham told reporters that Beverley would likely “go through some type of consequence” for his actions, while the veteran guard said he was prepared to “take my lumps however they come.”
As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the three-game suspension will cost Beverley $89,655 per game (1/145th of his $13MM salary), for a total of $268,966. The Lakers will receive half that amount (a total of $134,483) as a tax variance credit, Marks notes, saving them a little money on their end-of-season bill.
Beverley has struggled offensively during his first season as a Laker. The 34-year-old is averaging 4.1 PPG on .266/.238./824 shooting splits.
Seems excessive imo. He does have a history of this behavior, but I’m not sure what suspending him for 3 games is going to do to change his mindset.
It will do nothing, he and many other players will shove an opponent if he stands over a player on the ground, as THAT is the part that actually deserves suspension! Punk Ayton deserved a bigger suspension as does mid forever Booker.
God, I hate the Suns.
Why would Ayton have gotten suspended? Sure standing over someone is dumb, but it wasn’t even that big of an issue and definitely doesn’t warrant a cheap shot from behind
Bookers a punk, he should be grateful for being in this era as he’d slapped around on the reg in a different generation
Hell get his his sooner or later tho, punks always do just a matter of when
Who on the Suns hurt you? You poor thing!
Easy money. Seems a bit excessive though. I’d accept whatever punishment for standing up for his teammates 10/10 times.
Its also really cool how the NBA never actually shows everyone where the fine money goes….lemme guess: back into a billionaires pocket?
I thought you knew ball? It’s spelled out in the CBA. Not surprising that once again you don’t know what you are talking about.
You read the CBA? Jeez my condolences.
Of course I don’t. It’s common knowledge that fines go to charity.
Those charities probably pop champagne bottles whenever players get into scuffles on the court. For their sake, I hope Metta World Peace makes a comeback.
Booker and Ayton nothin’?
Next time they play PHO they gotta win.
8-game losing streak against them!
Why would Booker or Ayton get anything beyond the fouls called in the game? Only one person was hitting people after the whistle….
It should have been one game and a fine and that is all!
Sure, the guy has a past but the Suns were punking and Pat punk them back with a shove, so they got what they deserved.
It should be just one game suspension..
It’s clear he didn’t learn his lesson from the last time he got suspended 1 game for pushing someone in back.
I miss the days when Charles Barkley stood over Chris Mullin taunting him and Tim Hardaway came up to him (man to man, not sucker punch) and clocked him.
Stood up for his brother on the team, no supsension.
I don’t think Joe dumars should be commenting on anyone s history of unsportsmanlike conduct
Maybe he’s speaking as an expert, having seen it so much up close during his playing days.
I told lakers fans Beverly was washed last year ! I guess he helped twolves with some leadership and neat stuff like that but it’s been years since he’s been useful on the court
He was useful at one time???
Yes with clippers before he got butthurt about the new hierarchy when pg13 and Kawhi came
Wasn’t standing over him. Went over to check him out. And as he turned to walk away. He got pushed. He could’ve got seriously hurt. Watch the video. Never stood over him. Why would he. Time it. Beverly is a clown who has no gm. And can only do these things. Ayton threw it down on AD. That’s why Beverly shoved him, and they had words before.
What you really should be asking yourselves. Is why nobody came over and decked Beverly. Cause that’s what I would of done. Ayton could have been hurt. Then what happens to Suns season. Bunch of woozies
Why suspend Beverley & not Ayton & Booker as the instigators?!?!?
Seems very odd to me… PHO come across as a pretty unlikeable team, right?
Because they didn’t push anyone in the back after the whistle?
Good
Hopefully the refs get a suspension for being clowns that game?
Not sure what they did wrong watching that live, let’s hear it
Time to see an optometrist KnickerbockerAl…. Ayton and Booker both stood over Reaves and taunted him. That shiii don’t fly on any real team. Suns we already know to be soft and don’t play for each other… there’s no surprise no one confronted Beverly. Good for AD and Russ for getting in there as well. As a Laker fan, you love to see it…
Nothing says soft like pushing someone in the back
Nothing says soft like standing over a downed opponent, then acting surprised when someone puts you on the floor. Nothing says soft like running past the guy who decked your teammate, then proceeding to call out that guy in a post game interview. Nothing says soft like being the favorites to go to the finals, then getting doubled up at home in game 7.
Nothing says soft like the name SnowflakeAlert.
Pretty weak comparisons to being soft there bud
Thanks chief
AD was right next to Ayton as he stood over Reaves. If he had done what he should have (shoved Ayton off his spot and helped Reaves up), then there would likely be no suspensions. I guess a minimum wage teammate wasn’t worth the effort. Then again, AD might not realize that he has teammates other than LBJ.