Kyrie Irving's game receives about as much praise from his NBA peers as that of any other player. Patrick Beverley, on the other hand, is sometimes portrayed as a try-hard, performative irritant by his competitors across the league rather than a truly impactful defensive player.
Following the Brooklyn Nets' 121-104 win over the depleted Los Angeles Lakers, though, both points guard went out of their way to give each other props.
“Some other guys would probably use that word [irritating], but for me, [when it comes to] Patrick, I enjoy the competitive spirit that he brings out of me and he brings out of other people,” Irving said of Beverley after the game, per Kristian Winfield of New York Daily News. “If you can get by him, if you can score on him, then I feel like you can score on the majority of people in the league. That’s the respect I have for him.”
Irving scored a game-high 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the Nets' win, shooting 7-of-16 overall, 3-of-7 from deep and 9-of-11 at the free throw line. Beverley indeed played a part in keeping him from completely going off with Kevin Durant sidelined, though, holding Irving to nine points on 2-of-7 shooting as the primary defender of the Nets' floor general.
Reacting to Irving's compliment, Beverley paid his longtime counterpart an even higher one.
“Obviously wise words from a wise man,” Beverley told the Daily News of Irving. “[He’s] the ultimate competitor. Master of his craft. The master at that position to ever play. It wasn’t easy tonight, but it’s always been like that. I make sure I get my rest the night before I play Kyrie for sure.”
Unfortunately for Kyrie Irving and Patrick Beverley—not to mention basketball fans worldwide eagerly anticipating another tilt in the personal rivalry between Durant and LeBron James, also out on Monday—the Nets and Lakers won't meet again this season, barring an unlikely matchup in the NBA Finals.
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