MILWAUKEE (AP) ā Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley was suspended by the NBA on Thursday for four games without pay to begin next season for during and after the final game of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers.
The league announced the suspension and said Beverley was getting punished for āforcefully throwing a basketball multiple times at spectators and an inappropriate interaction with a reporter during media availability.ā
This suspension was handed down one day after said they were investigating an āNBA player and citizenā altercation that happened during that May 2 game without mentioning anyone by name.
Beverley threw a ball at fans in the closing minutes of Milwaukeeās at Indiana that knocked the Bucks out of the playoffs. Cameras showed him sitting on the bench and tossing a ball into the stands, hitting a fan in the head with about 2 1/2 minutes left. After a different fan threw the ball back to Beverley, who was holding his arm out for it, the Bucks guard fired it back at that spectator.
Beverley spoke about his behavior on an episode of āThe Pat Bev Podcastā that was released Wednesday. He said he was called a word that heād never been called before, but added that his actions were āstill inexcusable.ā
āI will be better,ā he said. āI have to be better, and I will be better. That should have never happened. Regardless of what was said, that should have never happened. Simple as that.ā
Beverley added the atmosphere in Indiana āwas greatā aside from āa handful of fansā who crossed the line.
āI aināt bringing a basketball on the bench no more,ā Beverley said. āThat ā¦ threw my whole vibe off.ā
After the game, Beverley wouldnāt allow ESPN journalist Malinda Adams to ask him a question in a group interview in the locker room. He said it was because she didnāt subscribe to his podcast. Beverley told her to get her microphone out of his face and then eventually asked her to leave the interview circle.
The next day, that she had received apologies from both the Bucks and from Beverley himself.
On his podcast, Beverley said he had asked that of reporters who interviewed him ever since he launched his podcast. Beverley said he told Adams that āit was never my intent to disrespect you.ā
A day after the game, Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Beverleyās behavior was ānot the Milwaukee way or the Bucks way.ā
āWeāre better than that,ā Rivers said. āPat feels awful about that. He also understands emotionally ā this is an emotional game and things happen ā unfortunately, youāre judged immediately and he let the emotions get the better of him.ā
The Bucks acquired the 35-year-old Beverley from the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline. Beverley was playing on a one-year deal, making him an unrestricted free agent heading into the offseason.
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