Patrick Beverley’s tweets fired at Russell Westbrook with the Lakers in freefall
Patrick Beverley-Russell Westbrook beef runs deep. And it’s beef brisket that Beverley rocked again on Thursday amid the Lakers squirming and swirling commercial rumors.
For starters, some background: During the first-round series between the Rockets and Thunder back in 2013, Beverley collided with Westbrook’s knee in an attempt to steal, resulting in Westbrook’s tear. right meniscus. There have been many head-to-head games since Westbrook suffered that injury, which dashed Oklahoma City’s championship dreams.
One of the defining moments in individual rivalry came after the 2019 game between the Clippers and the Rockets, in which Beverley’s main task, James Harden, finished with 47 points. (It should be noted that Harden did most of his damage against other Los Angeles defenders.) During his post-match media coverage, Westbrook dismissed the idea that Beverley was an elite defender.
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“Pat Bev tricked you, man, like he played defensively,” Westbrook said at the time. “He’s not protecting anyone, man. He’s just running around, doing nothing.”
Russell Westbrook (@ russwest44) on Pat Beverley (@ patbev21): “Pat Bev tricked you, like he played defensively. He doesn’t protect anyone. He just ran around doing nothing..As you saw what happened 47. All that commotion and (@jharden) gets 47.” pic.twitter.com/WaJ5D0Q1U5
– Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 14, 2019
Beverley, now a member of the Timberwolves, doesn’t forget that quote. With Westbrook and the Lakers in the midst of a hugely disappointing season, Beverley didn’t miss the chance to kick a man when he was on the decline.
“I remember when someone said all I did was run around and I tricked you guys,” Beverley tweeted on Thursday. “Well, my boy is the real Magician this year.”
I remember when someone said all I do is run around and I fooled you 😂 this year my son is a real Magician.
– Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 10, 2022
The timing of the tweet couldn’t be better for Beverley or worse for Westbrook. The Lakers (26-30) have lost seven of their last 10 games, dropping them to 9th in the Western Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves (29-26) have won 7 of the last 10 matches, pushing them to the 7th seed position.
Westbrook isn’t the only reason Los Angeles has fallen short of expectations – he can’t be blamed for Wednesday night’s disappointing loss to Portland because he’s sidelined with a lower waist condition – but apparently the experimental Lakers’ “Big Three” didn’t work. The nine-time All-Star is averaging 18.3 points per game, his lowest since 2009-10 and he hasn’t changed his style to make an impact at the tournaments. other areas.
As The Athletic’s Bill Oram reported on Wednesday, the Lakers “no longer believe they can win at a high level” with Westbrook playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Unfortunately for LA, there’s no easy path to becoming a true championship contender. General Manager Rob Pelinka is low on assets, so the core team is not expected to change much before Thursday’s trading deadline.
And so it looks like the Lakers showdown will continue, to the satisfaction of one of Westbrook’s biggest foes.
