Patrick Beverley Was Determined Not To Get In Trouble When Asked About The Refs In Game 2

Though Stephen Curry generated 29 points and Jordan Poole produced a handful of memorable shots, the Golden State Warriors dominated Game 2 against the Boston Celtics largely on the defensive end. The Warriors held the Celtics well below a point per possession in the game and, as usual, Draymond Green was in the center of the resistance for Golden State. However, a great deal of attention, both during and after the game, was paid to something that did not happen with Green, as he narrowly managed to avoid an ejection despite a spat with Jaylen Brown late in the first half.

Green played 35 minutes as the anchor of Golden State’s defense and, in the hours after the final buzzer, everyone had to have a take on what transpired. Many took the side of agreeing with Green staying on the floor, if largely due to the quality of play dipping if one of the series’ most prominent players would be sidelined. Patrick Beverley was seemingly in the camp but, as the ESPN analyst indicated on television on Monday, he still needs to walk the tightrope to avoid punishment as an active NBA player.

This is a masterclass from Beverley, as he acknowledges to ESPN’s Vince Carter at the end of the clip. In the grand scheme, Beverley doesn’t actually say much at all here, which was perhaps the point, but he did manage to compliment the officials and speak to just how difficult the job actually is. That is quite rich from Beverley as a player who is very regularly chirping at those same officials, but it is easier to stay level in the comfort of a studio than in the midst of a playoff game.

Beverley probably would not have been in any danger of league discipline unless he said something really wild in this spot. Obviously, that didn’t happen, but it’s hard to blame him for staying out of the fray and being safe in this particular area.