The Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Indiana Pacers last night 120-98. The Pacers eliminated the Bucks from the playoffs and will meet the New York Knicks in round 2. The Bucks have had a less-than-ideal second half of the season and playoff run. After firing their coach Adrian Griffin with a 33 - 13 record and replacing him with Doc Rivers, the Bucks finished the season 49-33. Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo failed to gel and dealt with severe injuries. Giannis did not play in the series against the Pacers due to injury, and Dame missed time with an injury coming back last night, which had no success. The Bucks' fate was left in the hands of Patrick Beverley, and unsurprisingly, it did not go well.
Patrick Beverley got in an altercation with a fan last night during the Pacers beat down of the Bucks. Tempers flare in the NBA. It's a common thing to be upset when you lose. Couple that with a rabid fan base and a player known for crossing the line and being too inverted in extracurriculars, and you have what took place last night. Pat Bev threw a ball at a fan after jawing back and forth. The fan threw the ball back, and Beverley and the backup PG returned it even harder than the first time.
Read More: Patrick Beverley Rips Gilbert Arenas For His Draya Michele Comments
Patrick Beverley Defens His Actions
Patrick Beverley can be seen tossing the ball into the Pacers crowd, hitting a fan in the head. The ball is gathered by another fan and tossed back normally to Beverley. Beverley then proceeds to fire the ball at the fan even harder than the first time. Pat and the fans in the section continued to exchange words after the incident. His teammates and staff restrained Pat Bev to de-escalate the situation. It's a ridiculous moment for Pat Bev, who will more than likely face a suspension for his actions.
Patrick Beverley took to Twitter to defend himself. He says the fans exchanged words with the Bucks bench all night, and all he did was return the favor. He says he warned the fans and asked for help from arena security. Nevertheless, it's a playoff game. Indiana is always among the most engaged crowds in the NBA, and they haven't been to the playoffs in a decade. Fans are going to say things to players, but as long as they don't cross certain lines, it's fair game. Overall, Pat Bev might be trying to save himself from a suspension.
Read More: TNT Plays Kendrick Lamar's "Euphoria" During NBA Playoffs Halftime
[via]
