During Monday night’s clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers, tensions flared as Lakers guard Austin Reaves and Sixers guard Patrick Beverly found themselves in a heated confrontation. The incident unfolded late in the third quarter, with the Sixers holding a commanding 93-72 lead.
Austin Reaves and Patrick Beverley getting into it after this sequence 👀🍿pic.twitter.com/yJ4fdmUeBa
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 28, 2023
After the game, Reaves shared his perspective on the incident, expressing that he wasn’t surprised by Beverly’s reaction. According to Lakers Nation, Reaves stated, “Austin Reaves says he has a lot of respect for Pat Bev and that as a competitor, he wasn’t surprised to see him look to get him back tonight after doing the ‘too small’ celebration on him last season.”
The confrontation occurred when Patrick Beverly and Robert Covington double-teamed Reaves near the baseline. While Covington appeared to nudge Reaves out of bounds, the officials did not call a foul in his favor, instead awarding possession to the Sixers.
As Reaves attempted to move away, Beverly collided with him, sparking a face-to-face exchange between the two guards. Notably, Beverly raised his arms and did not engage in direct eye contact with Reaves during the confrontation.
The outcome of the game was a resounding 138-94 victory for the Sixers, marking the most significant defeat suffered by the Lakers during the 2023-24 NBA season thus far. Their previous most lopsided loss was a 128-94 defeat at the hands of the Houston Rockets on November 8.
In a stellar performance, reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid secured his first triple-double of the season against the Lakers, amassing 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Tyrese Maxey contributed 31 points to seal the resounding victory for the Sixers.
The Lakers will now turn their attention to the upcoming matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.