Patrick Beverley and Chris Paul have had a number of run-ins with one another over the years. The latest back-and-forth came on Monday evening when the ultra-hobbled Los Angeles Lakers played the Phoenix Suns and Beverley finished a layup through a contest by Paul. It led to Beverley hitting Paul with a too small taunt, despite the fact that the make meant that the Suns held a 70-46 lead over their division rivals.
Pat Bev really hit CP3 with the “too small” down 26
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— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 20, 2022
This is, of course, an extremely funny moment that shows that there’s still a whole lot of tension between the two guards — Paul and Beverley have had some pretty high-profile incidents, like the time Beverley shoved Paul from behind in the playoffs and earned a one-game suspension the following year.
As for the rest of the game, it went about as well as you’d expect a Lakers game with Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook all sidelined with injuries to go. The Suns picked up an emphatic 130-104 win, with Paul’s 28 points and eight assists leading the way. Beverley, meanwhile, had nine points and three dimes on the night, while another member of Los Angeles’ backcourt shouldered the biggest load, as Dennis Schröder scored 30 points on 12-for-19 shooting. The two teams will play again in March.