Donovan Mitchell had a hard time in the Utah Jazz's 116-112 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, and it's all because of Patrick Beverley.
While one would quickly think of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as the biggest problem for Mitchell, it was actually the 6-foot-1 guard that stuck quite well in the mind of the Jazz star. After all, Pat Bev defended the athletic guard and did a great job at it.
Mitchell said so as much, noting how Beverley made scoring difficult for him, especially in the first half. He also emphasized that there's a reason the 32-year-old was a former All-Defensive First Team member.
“Gotta give credit to Patrick Beverley. He’s first team All-Defense for a reason. Made my life hard to start the game. That kind of set the tone… Give Pat his credit. He’s a hell of a defender.”@spidadmitchell on @patbev21. #Clippers #Jazz pic.twitter.com/MfRTp6aoud
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) February 20, 2021
Of course, Donovan Mitchell's comments didn't come without basis. Patrick Beverley guarded the Jazz scorer for much of the evening, and he was able to hold him off to just six points in the first half. It's an impressive feat given Mitchell's athleticism and scoring exploits this 2020-21.
Sure enough, Mitchell ended up with 35 points for the Jazz. However, Beverley made him work hard for every shot, with the 24-year-old going 12-of-27 from the field–including 4-of-11 from 3-point territory.
For his part, Beverley finished with 17 points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal. He was a factor in the Clippers' victory, ending with a plus-minus 3 in the contest.
While it has been roughly four years since Beverley became part of the NBA All-Defensive Team, his reputation as a feisty defender remains. The lack of official accolades aside, he will certainly take the recognition of Mitchell and his peers more than anything else.
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