On June 30th, 2021, Patrick Beverley shoved Chris Paul to the ground from behind as they were headed to a timeout. As a result, Beverley found himself ejected from the game for his actions. This morning, the NBA responded and announced that they would be suspending Beverley one game without pay. Next year, the suspension will take effect on the first game of the 2021-2022 season.
The unsportsmanlike incident occurred with 5:49 left in the 4th quarter of game six of the Western Conference Finals. Beverley and the LA Clippers were down 26 points and on the brink of elimination. Chris Paul had been lighting up the Clippers and Pat Bev in the second half. So, it is likely that Beverley’s act stemmed from a fit of frustration.
Moreover, Beverley took to Twitter to apologize to Chris Paul the day after the incident. He even congratulated Paul and wished him luck in the Finals. Despite the unsportsmanlike move of shoving Chris Paul, it was a respectful move to apologize for his actions publicly. However, Paul has not interacted with the tweet to respond to Beverley’s apology.
Chris Paul tormented the Clippers in game six, finishing with 41 points, four rebounds, eight assists, and three steals. He shot 67 percent from the field and made an impressive seven of eight three-pointers. Also, 31 of his 41 points came in the second half alone, as the Suns burned the Clippers en route to their first finals appearance since 1993.
Beverley wasn’t the only one that had an issue beyond basketball with Chris Paul that night. DeMarcus Cousins had some choice words for Chris Paul from the sidelines. Cousins is seen yelling at Paul in a video, “You wonder why nobody F–k with yo weak ass.” It is unclear what lead to Cousins saying this; however, Cousins did get a questionable technical foul called on him thanks to Paul’s acting skills.
