The Milwaukee Bucks’ elimination at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA playoffs was ugly. Patrick Beverly made it much uglier.
In the last minutes of Bucks’ series-deciding 120-98 loss in Game 6, Beverley was seen on the TNT broadcast throwing a ball at a Pacers fan and hitting her in the head. She then asked another fan for the ball and returned it harshly.
Beverley proceeded to talk to the fans behind him as his teammates, coaches and Bucks security dealt with the situation.
Beverly will almost certainly be disciplined by the NBA. He was not ejected for the incident, but did not appear in the game again.
Beverley scored six points on 3-of-11 shooting with five assists, two rebounds and zero turnovers. He posted a congratulatory message to the Pacers after the game, then responded to the backlash brewing hours later by complaining that the Bucks had “exchanged” with a fan during the game and called the situation “not fair.”
It is unclear whether the man or woman Beverley threw the ball to was the fan in question. He didn’t apologize.
It’s not fair at all. Traded between a fan and our ballclub all night. We were warning and asking for help all night. It’s not fair. https://t.co/e2o0lcqZtg
—Patrick Beverly (@patbev21) May 3, 2024
Patrick Beverley expels a journalist from the scrum for… not subscribing to his podcast
Beverley also made no friends in her postgame media availability, as she bizarrely refused to answer questions from ESPN’s Malinda Adams because she admitted to not subscribing to her podcast.
After answering a question from a different reporter, Beverley demanded that the reporter leave the scrum. CBS Sports’ Jack Maloney highlighted that Beverly has done this to every reporter since he was sent to Milwaukee at the trade deadline.
Patrick Beverly tells the ESPN reporter that she can’t interview him because she doesn’t subscribe to his podcast. pic.twitter.com/sRFHiZJaSK
— Alex Dorado (@AlexGoldenNBA) May 3, 2024
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Marc Lanzas were among the voices that criticized Beverly for her behavior, and Spears noted that Beverley had previously disrespected NBPA CEO Michele Roberts in 2020.
It was a tough night for the Bucks overall, as the Pacers quickly took control and led by double digits throughout the entire fourth quarter. Milwaukee entered the game with renewed hopes of avoiding elimination after their big Game 5 win and the return of Damian Lillard, but they were still shorthanded. Giannis Antetokounmpo ended up missing the entire series due to a calf injury suffered late in the regular season.
The Pacers will face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, while the Bucks will head straight into an offseason with a number of tough questions after a midseason coaching change. Beverly is a pending free agent.