National Basketball Association

Did Patrick Beverley, Timberwolves over-celebrate winning play-in?

Published Apr. 13, 2022 7:02 p.m. ET

When Patrick Beverley exited the basketball court following the Timberwolves' play-in victory over the LA Clippers on Tuesday, triumphant tears streamed down his face.

It was an emotional win for Beverley and the Wolves, who stamped their first playoff berth since 2018, and second in 18 years, with the 109-104 victory.

And for Pat Bev — who climbed atop the scorer's table and tossed his jersey into the crowd — the win was personal.

"Take they a-- home," Beverley commented on what he said to his former teammates after forcing the game-sealing turnover late in the fourth quarter. "Long flight to L.A."

The Clippers traded Beverley, who played for LA from 2017-21, to Memphis on Aug. 16 of last year before he was dealt to Minnesota nine days later. He signed a one-year, $13 million extension in February.

"It's deep for me," Beverley said regarding the trade. "I gave my blood and sweat and tears to that organization. ... To just be written off like that. … To be able to play them in a play-in and beat their a--, there's no [better] feeling."

Bashful was not the adjective to describe to Beverley's demeanor after the win. But in Nick Wright's mind, it probably should've been.

"I'm not a killjoy," Wright said Wednesday on "First Things First."

"You want to see Patrick Beverley's three most impactful plays [Tuesday]? He misses a 3 off the side of the backboard and then knocks Paul George to the ground with a dirty hip-check. Now [let's] go to the fourth. Again, someone who's not looking [Reggie Jackson] gets knocked to the ground. Thirty seconds later, you'll notice a pile of bodies. Guess who's in the middle of all of it? That Paul George play is a crystallization of [Beverley's] career: Miss a 3 off the side of the backboard, and make up for it by trying to injure the other team's star. That's who he's always been."

Conversely, Chris Broussard had no problem with Beverley's antics.

"I know Beverley isn't a great player," Broussard said.

"But his leadership in the locker room, the energy he has brought, has been huge for this team. Early in the season, after they lost a few games to the Clippers, he called a team meeting, had every player line up and said, ‘Tell what your role is to this team.’ Yes he gets under your skin if you're the opponent. But if he's on your team, you love having a little irritant like him."

Pat Beverley leads Timberwolves to their first playoffs since 2018

Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes share their thoughts on Patrick Beverley's celebration on Tuesday night.

Arguably the funniest moment of the evening came from the "Inside the NBA" crew on TNT, poking the Wolves for celebrating like they won the NBA title.

Shaquille O'Neal mockingly sang Queen's "We Are The Champions," and Kenny Smith wondered if Wolves' head coach Chris Finch would celebrate shirtless in the locker room.

Still, Shannon Sharpe didn't have a problem with Minnesota's exuberance considering the team's lack of playoff experience.

"I think a lot of people thought that the celebration seemed excessive," Sharpe said on "Undisputed." "But I didn't have a problem with it for the simple fact that it's not like Minnesota is in the playoffs every single year. Now, if this was Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, or Draymond Green doing that, I'd be like, ‘What the hell are ya’ll doing?' That's just who Pat Bev is. That's how he's made it this far."

The Timberwolves' work is far from finished. Their victory set them up for a first-round clash with one the league's scrappiest teams, the Memphis Grizzlies.

And apparently, Ja Morant was following the Wolves' frolics on social media.

The matchup is sure to be a high-flying spectacle, and it's one that contains a rare combination of youthful talent.

Memphis (142) and Minnesota (128) have the fewest combined career postseason games. The Grizzlies have the least amount of players with double-digit playoff appearances (Steven Adams, 59, Kyle Anderson, 35), while the T-Wolves have the second-fewest with three (Patrick Beverley, 59, Greg Monroe, 27, Malik Beasley, 14).

Though experience will not be plentiful in the series, talent certainly will be, and if Patrick Beverley has anything to say about it, so will the intensity.