Getting laid out by a Steven Adams' screen hasn't slowed Patrick Beverley down
Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley gave the Toyota Center a scare when Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams flattened him on a screen.
Eight minutes into the third quarter, Beverley was backpedaling down the court guarding MVP front runner Russell Westbook and didn’t see Oklahoma City’s Adams set a screen behind him.
Take a look:
Life comes at you fast… pic.twitter.com/Tr3AMeQHWw
— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) April 17, 2017
Luckily for Beverley and the Rockets, the fall didn’t slow him down. After flashing coach Mike D’Antoni a thumbs up, Beverley splashed in another bucket, continuing a strong night that saw him score a playoff career-high 21 points, including four 3-pointers. He’d add 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals to help lead the Rockets to a big Game 1 win, earning a share of the spotlight on a night that was supposed to be all about Harden vs. Westbrook.
But even that didn’t stop Twitter from expressing some concern over Beverley.
Steven Adams just leveled Patrick Beverly on a screen. I thought Pat was gonna be knocked out the way he went… https://t.co/KOrmbxcrWu
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) April 17, 2017
Oh my goodness, Steven Adams pic.twitter.com/75ODmkVw8G
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) April 17, 2017
Let’s check out Bev for a concussion how about
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) April 17, 2017
RIP Patrick Beverley pic.twitter.com/B3mQzBOb34
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) April 17, 2017
Beverley has some rocky history with OKC. In the 2013 playoffs, when Beverley was a rookie, he and Westbrook collided and the Thunder point guard suffered a torn meniscus.
Just a little reminder to Pat Beverley. We remember 2013. We'll be watching you #OKCvsHOU #NBAPlayoffs2017 pic.twitter.com/Mw2GmGYu5x
— OKC Thunder Gal ⚡⚡⚡ (@okcthundergal) April 15, 2017
After the game, Beverley said he had no issues with Adams’ bone-jarring pick.
“Nah, it was a legal screen,” he said during his postgame press conference. “Good screen. Not worried about that, man. We’re just trying to focus on doing the right things. I’ve been hit with many screens before, so, on to the next play.”