Patrick Beverley on locking up Kevin Durant: “He didn’t want to dribble the ball against me”
Patrick Beverley guarded Kevin Durant in their recent meeting. The LA Lakers point guard has now highlighted how his intensity forced the Brooklyn Nets star to move the ball around.
Beverley is one of the most intense and aggressive guards in the league. Known for his work ethic and endless hustle on the floor, he has rightfully earned the nickname "Mr. 94 Feet".
Beverley routinely guards the best players on opposing teams. Whether the player is a guard or a forward, the 34-year-old has built a career out of hounding some of the best in the game.
Although he is not always successful, Beverley is well-aware that defense is a game of patience and pressure.
Also Read: 5 times Patrick Beverley had a physical altercation with NBA players in recent history
In the Lakers' recent win against the Nets, the guard was self-assured of the impact he would have.
Beverley consistently switched over to guarding Kevin Durant whenever he was on the floor. Guarding Durant is not for the faint of heart, but Beverley has opted to do this on several occasions in the past as well.
In their most recent meeting, Beverley expressed that his defensive impact forced Durant into a tight spot. While Durant has denied any such claim, Bev held onto his side of things.
Reporter: "What was the key to the defensive side of the ball?"
Patrick Beverley: "Sh*t. Me guarding KD!” 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/v6lmcXcF3E
He even broke the matter down during an episode of the "Pat Bev Podcast". Speaking on how he guarded Durant during the game, Beverley said:
"I took his ball at half. Got a block shot. I mean, I'm a measly 6'1". Sped him up. I don't think you guys understand the art of defense. Sped him up. Made him go to sh*t. Made him double-pump a lot. Inverted plays. Took the big, put him low, put me big. I'm coming out, body him here, checking him here. Come on, man. That's impressive."
With Bev on the bench, KD was gathering momentum on the offensive front. In this regard, Beverley continued by saying:
"He didn’t want to dribble the ball against me,. He was bringing the ball up. I’d pick him up, he’d get off it. You know what I’m saying? That’s the thing people don’t understand when it comes to basketball."
The Lakers guard wanted to turn the situation into a 1v1 iso from fullcourt. Durant's decision to pass the ball off was what gave Bev the mental upperhand against the forward.
While Kevin Durant still notched a solid 31 points on the night, they lost against the Lakers.
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Patrick Beverley routinely guards Kevin Durant
The rivalry between Patrick Beverley and Kevin Durant dates back to the playoff matchup between the LA Clippers and the Golden State Warriors. With the Clippers hoping to advance to the Western Conference Semis, Beverley took on the task of guarding Durant.
The approach itself was based on mind games rather than aptitude. With Beverley getting in Durant's grill early on, the Clippers enjoyed some success in the series.
Unfortunately, given the Warriors' offensive firepower at the time and Durant's sense for scoring, Beverley had little to no hope of locking the forward down.
"I'm not gonna get in the way of the game because I wanna have a little back-and-forth with Patrick Beverley. I'm Kevin Durant. You know who I am."
Kevin Durant shared a detailed breakdown of his takeaways from their Game 2 loss. https://t.co/gS8PRodqXx
The rivalry has since seen Patrick Beverley find Kevin Durant on the defensive side of things. While the battle could swing either way given the nature of the matchup, the two continue to duke it out fairly regularly.