After their 102-93 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, Houston Rockets star James Harden praised Patrick Beverley's defense.
“It's always great to compete against him. We all know what Pat does. He's great and he'll try to get in your head. If you let him get into your head and get into your body, he can be a pest,” Harden said, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Beverley, a two-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Teams, was matched up against Harden on several occasions. The former league MVP dropped 47 points — a pretty clear sign that he wasn't bothered by Beverley's defense. The two were actually teammates with the Rockets from 2012 to 2017, so it's easy to imagine both of them dueling against one another in practices.
The Rockets eventually had to part ways with Beverley, primarily because Mike D'Antoni's system required players who could shoot the lights out. Beverley was on the rise as an elite-defender back then, but his lack of a reliable shooting touch became a liability for Houston.
Though they're no longer donning the same jerseys, the respect for one another still holds.
Interestingly though, Harden's teammate Russell Westbrook has a different take. After the game, Russ absolutely ripped Beverley and claimed the Clippers guard was not playing defense after Harden dropped 47 on him.
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