It took Patrick Beverley all of a minute to get himself into trouble on Tuesday night.
The Minnesota point guard and famous agitator got T’d up just 60 seconds into a 124-96 Timberwolves loss in Game 2 of their first-round NBA playoff series against Memphis. Beverley tried to knock the ball out of Ja Morant’s hands as he went up to shoot but instead hit Morant’s face.
Upon review, Beverley was assessed a technical, sending Desmond Bane to the free throw line where he tied the game – at one.
Later in the night, the Grizzlies would pull away behind Morant’s 23 points and 10 assists, along with nine rebounds. Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. both had 16 points as well.
Still, the series goes back to Minnesota with the Timberwolves holding home-court advantage after winning Game 1 at FedEx Forum.
Patrick Beverley of the Minnesota Timberwolves plays defense on Desmond Bane NBAE via Getty ImagesTo turn that into a win in the series, they’ll need Anthony Edwards to play more like he did in Game 1, when he scored 36 points — a number that dropped to 20 in Game 2. Ditto for Karl-Anthony Towns, who dropped 29 in the opening victory before scoring just 15 on Tuesday.
Of course, it wouldn’t hurt the Timberwolves if they avoided technical fouls in the first minute of the game, either.
