The Milwaukee Bucks getting eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA playoffs was bad. Patrick Beverley made it much uglier.
In the final minutes of the Bucks' decisive 120-98 Game 6 loss, Beverly was seen on a TNT broadcast throwing a ball at a Pacers fan, hitting her in the head. Then he asked for the ball from another fan and returned it to him harshly.
Beverley proceeded to joke around with the fans behind him while his Bucks teammates, coaches and security handled the situation.
Beverley will almost certainly be disciplined by the NBA. He was not sent off for the incident, but he did not appear in the match again.
Beverley scored six points on 3-of-11 shooting with five assists, two rebounds and zero turnovers. he He posted a congratulatory message to the Pacers After the game, he then responded to the backlash hours later by complaining that the Bucks had “exchanged” with a fan during the game and called the situation “unfair.”
It's not clear whether the man or woman Beverly threw the ball at was the fan in question. And he didn't apologise.
Not fair at all. An exchange took place between a fan and our ball club throughout the night. We warned and called for help all night. it is not fair. 🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️ https://t.co/e2o0lcqZtg
– Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) May 3, 2024
Patrick Beverly kicks a reporter out of the pool for not subscribing to his podcast
Beverley didn't make friends in his post-game media either, as he bizarrely refused to answer questions from ESPN's Malinda Adams as she admitted to not subscribing to his podcast.
After receiving a question from a different reporter, Beverly then asked the reporter to leave the meeting. CBS Sports' Jack Maloney noted That Beverley has done that to all the reporters since he was sent to Milwaukee at the trade deadline.
Patrick Beverly told a reporter from ESPN that she couldn't interview him because she didn't subscribe to his podcast. pic.twitter.com/sRFHiZJaSK
– Alex Golden (@AlexGoldenNBA) May 3, 2024
ESPN's Brian Windhorst And Mark Spears She was among the voices criticizing Beverley for his behavior, with Spears noting that Beverley previously disrespected NBPA executive director Michelle Roberts in 2020.
It was a tough night for the Bucks overall, as the Pacers quickly took control and led by a wide margin for the entire fourth quarter. Milwaukee entered the game with renewed hopes of avoiding elimination after its big Game 5 win and the return of Damian Lillard, but it was still weak. Giannis Antetokounmpo ended up missing the entire series due to a calf injury he suffered late in the regular season.
The Pacers will face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals while the Bucks head straight into an offseason with a number of tough questions following a midseason coaching change. Beverley is a pending free agent.
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