Tag: Pat Beverley

USA TODAY’s Bryan Kalbrosky on Rockets’ draft, free agency plans

In our latest podcast, NBA writer @BryanKalbrosky shares insight on potential #Rockets targets in the draft (Scoot Henderson, Amen Thompson) and free agency (James Harden, Pat Beverley).

Bryan Kalbrosky, national NBA staff writer at USA TODAY’s For The Win, joins Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves on a new podcast to break down the rapidly evolving 2023 offseason for the Rockets.

The discussion spotlights Houston’s options for the No. 4 pick, with which a top prospect such as Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller or Amen Thompson could be selected. Cam Whitmore, Ausar Thompson and Jarace Walker might force their way into the conversation as well, both for the Rockets and even teams (Charlotte, Portland) just ahead of them in the first-round order.

Kalbrosky also explores a few of Houston’s options with the No. 20 pick of the first round and what may come next in free agency with veterans James Harden and Pat Beverley very much in play.

Wednesday’s podcast, which is sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing, can be listened to below. Each episode of the show is also made available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790 and all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”

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Pat Beverley sees very high chance of joining James Harden in Houston

On his podcast, former #Rockets guard Pat Beverley says there’s a “very high chance” he returns to Houston this offseason alongside James Harden.

With Houston having approximately $60 million in salary cap space entering the 2023 offseason, a potential reunion between James Harden and the Rockets has been rumored for months.

Could that also lead to a reunion among Harden, the Rockets and veteran guard Pat Beverley, who started alongside Harden in the backcourt from 2013 through 2017? As a stout defender, Beverley often took on the toughest perimeter assignment, thereby allowing Harden to concentrate more on the offensive end of the court.

According to Beverley, that reunion is possible. Here’s what he said on his own show, “The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone“:

Rone: Do you really think that James Harden is going to go back to Houston, and is there any chance of you reuniting with him back in Houston?

Beverley: Very highly … very high chance. That was one of my decisions when I got traded from the Lakers. Houston was one of my … you know, but they told me “Pat, we don’t need you right now. You might not play, we need you to mentor young guys, blah blah blah.” I still wanted to play.

Beverley went on to refer to Ime Udoka, recently hired by the Rockets, as a great coach.

Beverley, a 6-foot-2 guard, was traded from Los Angeles to the Magic in February before having the final year of his contract bought out, owing to Orlando’s status as a rebuilding team. In free agency, he signed with Chicago.

Now 34 years old, Beverley averaged 6.2 points (33.5% on 3-pointers), 3.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 27.1 minutes last season. His primary value was on the defensive side of the court, as usual, and that could make him a candidate for Houston’s room exception, which would allow a starting salary of approximately $7.6 million. That would allow the Rockets to use their cap space elsewhere.

The complete podcast episode can be viewed below.

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Veteran guard Pat Beverley endorses Rockets head coach Stephen Silas

Pat Beverley on Silas and the Rockets: “They’re headed in the right direction. They’re playing extremely hard, they’re playing fast, and they’re playing a good brand of basketball.”

Having played for the Houston Rockets (2013-17), Los Angeles Clippers (2017-21), and Minnesota Timberwolves (2021-22), veteran guard Pat Beverley — recently traded to Utah in the Rudy Gobert deal — knows about playing a key role on Western Conference playoff teams.

Beverley is also known for speaking his mind and not holding back, as shown in his recent First Take appearances on ESPN.

With that in mind, Beverley’s latest comments on current Rockets head coach Stephen Silas — captured in a new interview by Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston — are relatively encouraging. Among those remarks:

I like him. He’s always been solid. He’s always been a stand-up coach. Very detailed man, very professional.

I know he’s trying to do his best. Obviously, he was put in a tough situation in the Western Conference with such a young team that’s trying to be competitive.

But for the most part, they’re headed in the right direction. He’s not giving up. They’re playing extremely hard, they’re playing fast, and they’re playing a good brand of basketball.

When Silas took the Houston job in October 2020, Houston still had All-Star guards and former MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook on its roster. Over the months that followed, the Rockets transitioned from title contention to a rebuild, with Silas as a stabilizing force for a roster that rapidly grew younger over the ensuing two seasons.

Beverley spoke to Berman at his fifth annual “Camp Lockdown,” which he holds for youth in the Houston suburb of Humble, Texas.

“Houston is home,” he said. “All my family’s here. I’m here. My children are here. It’s the least I can do. You never forget where u come from.”

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Former Rockets guard Pat Beverley rips Chris Paul, praises James Harden

In appearances Monday on ESPN programming, former Rockets guard Pat Beverley had harsh words for Chris Paul while showing love to James Harden and Steph Curry.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Pat Beverley, who played five seasons with the Rockets from 2012-13 to 2016-17, has often appeared to have a chip on his shoulder when facing Chris Paul over the years. The future Hall of Famer, of course, is who Houston acquired in the June 2017 blockbuster trade that sent Beverley to the Los Angeles Clippers.

In the 2021 Western Conference finals, Beverley earned an ejection and suspension when he shoved “CP3” in the back during the final seconds of a clinching Game 6 win for Phoenix (where Paul now plays).

But this year, the Suns won’t be returning to the NBA Finals after Sunday’s humiliating Game 7 home loss to Dallas in the second round of the playoffs. On Monday, in appearances on ESPN programming, Beverley clearly took joy in the downhall of the player he was once traded for.

Scroll on for Monday’s most memorable takes by Beverley, along with some kind words for former Houston star James Harden.

Today in 2017: Nene’s perfect game leads Rockets to road playoff win

Nene scored 28 points on 12-of-12 shooting, which tied the all-time record for most made shots without a miss in NBA playoff history.

On this day in 2017, veteran backup center Nene had 28 points and 10 rebounds as the Houston Rockets held off the host Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.

Nene scored his 28 points on 12-of-12 shooting, which tied the all-time record for most made shots without a miss in NBA playoff history. He joined Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain as the only NBA players to tally 20+ points and 10+ rebounds on 100% FG in a playoff game.

Houston rallied to a 113-109 victory (box score) behind a decisive 40-32 edge in the fourth quarter, giving the Rockets a 3-1 series lead.

Had the Thunder won, it would have tied the series and effectively made it a best-of-three contest. Instead, the Rockets grabbed a commanding lead and closed out the April 2017 series at home in Game 5.

Thunder guard and eventual 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook had 35 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists, while Houston’s backcourt of James Harden and Pat Beverley combined for just 22 points on 24.1% shooting.

Starting center Clint Capela registered a -25 in the plus/minus in his 18 minutes, and he was largely outplayed by Thunder big man Steven Adams — who had 18 points (80% FG) and seven rebounds.

But head coach Mike D’Antoni‘s three-man bench of Nene and reserve guards Eric Gordon and Lou Williams saved the day. Gordon and Williams each scored 18 points, while Nene had a historically efficient showing and was a game-high +24 in his 25 minutes.

The 2016-17 Rockets, who finished the regular season with a 55-27 record and as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed for the playoffs, advanced to the second round before bowing out in six games to No. 2 San Antonio. Nene suffered a season-ending adductor tear in Game 4, and Houston then lost the next two games without him.

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NBA Player Prop Bet Payday: Pat Bev will lock up Jamal Murray

Highlighting Friday’s best NBA player props with odds, analysis and picks.

Friday’s 10-game NBA menu has a lot of tasty betting options. Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference teams highlight the slate with the Dallas Mavericks visiting the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder playing at the Milwaukee Bucks.

Here are some savory NBA player props to devour from Friday’s action:

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 3:20 p.m. ET.

Pat Bev will lock up Jamal Murray

(Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing – USA TODAY Sports)

The Denver Nuggets head to La La Land to play the Los Angeles Clippers — who are favored -5.5 — in their second meeting of the season. One of the key matchups in Nuggets-Clippers is L.A’s Pat Beverley vs. Denver’s Jamal Murray, and Pat Bev owns Murray in their head-to-heads: 

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Murray has failed to score 20 points in each of his last two games and has scored over 20 points just once in his 11 career games against the Clippers. Also, in Beverley’s last five games, the opposing starting point guard hasn’t scored more than 18 points and is averaging just 12 points per game in those contests.  

BET JAMAL MURRAY UNDER 20.5 POINTS (-112).

Place a legal sports bet on these NBA prop bets or other games at BetMGM.

Ball will fill up the box score on Cavs

(Photo credit: Ken Blaze – USA TODAY Sports)

The New Orleans Pelicans are in the midst of a playoff hunt as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers, who’s season is all but over.

This bet is more about the terrible Cavaliers defense than it is PG Lonzo Ball himself. Don’t get me wrong, Ball is playing pretty good basketball lately. He’s tallied more than 25 points, rebounds and assists in four of his past six games. Also, Ball is having his best shooting month of the season, averaging 44% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point land. However, the Cavaliers are giving up the most fantasy points to point guards this season. Plus, over their past five games, opposing starting point guards are averaging 29.6 points, rebounds and assists.

Bet Lonzo Ball over 25.5 points, rebounds and assists (-139).

Betting Beasley in Orlando 

(Photo credit: Jasen Vinlove – USA TODAY Sports)

The Minnesota Timberwolves are getting 7.5 points at the Orlando Magic. Watch out for SG Malik Beasley in this game because he’s been ON FIRE since joining the Timberwolves Feb.19. Beasley is averaging 21.7 points per game on 45.5% FG shooting and 41.8% on 3-pointers. He’s also shooting a whopping 9.6 3’s per game since being traded to Minnesota, where he’s now a starter. So even if Beasley is having an off night he still might eclipse his projected points total just based on shooting volume. One additional point: the Magic’s starting shooting guard — Evan Fournier — has the worst defensive rating in their starting lineup.

Bet Malik Beasley over 17.5 points (-106).

Want some action on these NBA prop bets? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Pat Beverley’s struggles continue against the Houston Rockets

In Thursday’s win, James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined to shoot 60% against Pat Beverley with an average of 2.60 points per shot.

In a potential playoff preview, the Rockets have won two of three games in the 2019-20 NBA season against the Los Angeles Clippers and could easily have won all three. Consider that in the one loss on Nov. 22, Houston led by five points at Staples Center with under a minute to play.

How have the Rockets (19-9) been so good versus another perceived title contender in the Clippers (21-9), including twice on the road? There are a number of storylines to this matchup, but one big one is continued underperformance by one of Los Angeles’ most prominent role players.

Pat Beverley’s calling card is supposed to be his defense, but it hasn’t played out that way versus Houston. Facing his old team in the Rockets and a personal rival in Westbrook, Beverley has fouled out all three times.

Foul trouble has limited his ability to cover backcourt stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook, and the Clippers have paid dearly. In the two matchups in November, Harden averaged 42 points per game, while Westbrook scored 40 in Houston’s win this Thursday. Harden still had key contributions, of course, with 28 points and 10 assists on 50% shooting.

According to The Athletic, Beverley left the home locker room postgame without speaking to media. By the next morning, a holiday Photoshop meme involving Westbrook and Beverley was born.

Per NBA.com’s tracking data, Harden and Westbrook were especially effective in Thursday’s game when covered by Beverley — shooting a combined 60% against his defense and averaging 2.60 points per shot. For comparison, Harden and Westbrook average 1.55 and 1.15 points per shot on the 2019-20 season as a whole.

After the first meeting in November, Westbrook said this regarding Beverley’s defense after Harden scored 47 points:

Pat Bev trick y’all man, like he play defense. He don’t guard nobody, man. He’s just running around doing nothing. As you’ve seen what happened, 47. All that commotion to get 47.

Their rivalry dates back to the 2013 playoffs, when Beverley — then on the Rockets — went for the ball after the Thunder had called timeout and collided with Westbrook’s knee, all after the whistle had been blown. It led to a torn meniscus and ended Westbrook’s season early, and tension between the now 31-year-old guards has lingered for over six years since.

As far as this season goes, Beverley also fouled out in the second meeting on an epic Harden three-pointer in the final two minutes.

It could be argued that the rigors of chasing Harden and Westbrook defensively have compromised Beverley’s effectiveness on offense. In three games versus Houston, Beverley is shooting just 36% from the field and 18.8% on three-pointers — down significantly from his season averages of 41.0% and 32.7%, and career marks of 41.2% and 37.6%.

Beverley has grabbed only 2.3 rebounds per game against the Rockets, which is less than half of his usual 6.0 average.

Westbrook didn’t offer another specific one-liner about Beverley after Thursday’s win, though he did reference “a lot of antics going on.” After Beverley fouled out late in the game, Westbrook picked up a technical foul for taunting after waving at Beverley on his way off the floor.

Fortunately for the Rockets, Harden intervened to prevent Westbrook from potentially picking up a second technical foul and being ejected.

In the end, Westbrook got the last laugh against his rival when the Rockets finished off the 122-117 victory.

The Clippers and Rockets have one more regular-season meeting on Thursday, March 5 in Houston before a potential playoff matchup in the spring. For Los Angeles to reverse the early results, one big priority for head coach Doc Rivers is figuring out how to keep Beverley on the floor.

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Rockets win fifth straight as James Harden bests Kawhi Leonard late

James Harden had 47 points and scored 17 in the game’s final six minutes, leading to a Rockets win over Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers in Houston.

James Harden took over Wednesday’s fourth quarter in Houston, scoring 17 points in the final six minutes as the Rockets overcame a four-point deficit with under six minutes left to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 102-93. Houston closed the game on a 22-9 run.

For the game, Harden scored 47 points on 12-of-26 shooting, led by a 7-of-13 (53.8%) showing on three-pointers. The 30-year-old guard also had seven assists, six rebounds, and three steals, with the last coming against Clippers superstar and reigning NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kawhi Leonard to seal the win in the final minute.

Clippers guard Pat Beverley, long known as one of the NBA’s toughest isolation defenders, couldn’t stay on the floor long enough to try and slow Harden. Beverley fouled out in just 27 minutes, and longtime rival Russell Westbrook got in a postgame dig at Beverley’s expense after Harden’s 47-point outburst versus a former teammate.

Leonard had 26 points and 12 rebounds, but thanks in large part to strong defense from Houston forward P.J. Tucker, it took him 24 shots to get those 26 points. That made for a much less efficient night in comparison to Harden, who also had more clutch plays late.

Wednesday’s victory was the fifth straight for the Rockets (8-3), and it drops Leonard’s Clippers (7-4) a game behind Houston in the current Western Conference standings. Harden is averaging an astonishing 41.6 points per game during the five-game winning streak, raising his 2019-20 season average to an NBA-leading 38.2 per game.

The league’s reigning scoring champion led the way, but Harden certainly had plenty of help (box score) in the statement win over another West contender. Other highlights included 17 points from Westbrook, a third consecutive 20-rebound game from center Clint Capela, and strong perimeter defense by Tucker and Austin Rivers.

The Clippers’ total of 93 points was the fewest allowed by Houston this season. Opponents have not exceeded 100 in three games of the current five-game winning streak, and the Rockets have the NBA’s top-rated defense in that stretch.

In a potentially ominous development for the defense, Capela left Wednesday’s game in the fourth quarter after his head was hit in a collision with Clippers big man JaMychal Green. Team officials said postgame that they did not know whether Capela had suffered a concussion. If he did, that could make for a challenging back-to-back on Friday at home versus Indiana and Saturday at Minnesota.

Capela’s condition and status for those games will likely be updated at Thursday afternoon’s team practice in Houston.

Tyson Chandler finished Wednesday’s game in Capela’s absence, posting an impressive nine rebounds in 16 minutes and punctuating the victory in the final minute with a reverse jam on a lob — naturally, from Harden after stealing the ball from Leonard.

At 37 years old and in his 19th NBA season, however, Chandler is not a likely candidate for an expanded role if Capela misses time moving forward. The Rockets would likely need to turn to third-year center Isaiah Hartenstein in such a scenario.

Wednesday’s game finished with playoff intensity, and the two rivals won’t have to wait long for the rematch — which comes next Friday, Nov. 22, in Los Angeles. That game could feature a new star duo of Leonard and fellow offseason addition Paul George, who is expected to make his Clippers debut this Thursday in New Orleans.

The Rockets also weren’t close to full strength Wednesday, with wing players Eric Gordon and Danuel House Jr. each out with injuries.

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Russell Westbrook takes postgame swipe at Pat Beverley’s defense

After Wednesday’s win, Rockets star Russell Westbrook took a dig at the defense of longtime rival and current Clippers guard Pat Beverley.

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True to his “Mr. 94 Feet” nickname, Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley spent much of Wednesday night’s game hounding Houston Rockets star James Harden all over the basketball court.

It also wasn’t all that effective. Beverley’s aggressiveness caused him to foul out in just 27 minutes, while Harden led his team to a win by scoring a game-high 47 points on 12-of-26 shooting, including 7-of-13 (53.8%) on three-pointers. The 2018 MVP also had seven assists.

After the game ended, 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook — who now stars alongside Harden in the Houston backcourt — was eager to get in a dig at Beverley, his longtime rival. Westbrook said:

Pat Bev trick y’all man, like he play defense. He don’t guard nobody, man. He’s just running around doing nothing. As you’ve seen what happened, 47. All that commotion to get 47.

Westbrook had 17 points himself in 30 foul-plagued minutes during the 102-93 Houston victory (box score).

The rivalry between the two point guards dates back to the 2013 playoffs, when Beverley — as a member of the Rockets, of all teams — went for the ball after the Thunder had called timeout and collided with Westbrook’s knee, all after the whistle had been blown. It led to a torn meniscus and ended Westbrook’s season early, and tension between the two has lingered for over six years since.

Now Westbrook is in Houston and Beverley is on one of the Rockets’ chief Western Conference rivals, with both 31-year-old guards still in search of their first NBA title.

Wednesday’s victory was the fifth straight overall for the Rockets (8-3), and it drops Beverley’s Clippers (7-4) a game behind in the West standings. If there’s lingering resentment, the rematch is barely over a week away — with Houston visiting Los Angeles next Friday, Nov. 22.

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