Hostilities were renewed Tuesday night in one of the NBA’s most infamous rivalries.
In the first quarter of the Rockets’ 106-98 loss to the Thunder, Patrick Beverley lunged at Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook as the star guard was signaling a timeout. There were also a couple of other aggressive plays by Beverley that angered Westbrook.
Westbrook didn’t appreciate Beverley’s move, jawing at him before they had to be separated. Beverley (1-of-4, two points, three assists), who was badly outplayed by Westbrook (6-of-14, 24 points, seven assists), was hit with a technical foul. It’s not the first time Beverley has tried the move.
Their bad blood stems from the first round of last season’s playoffs. In Game 2 between the Rockets and Thunder, Beverley attempted to steal the ball after Westbrook had called a timeout. Westbrook fell to the ground, and was later diagnosed with a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, ending his season.
The Thunder built a 3-0 lead in that series, before winning in six games. In the next round against the Grizzlies, they couldn’t make up for the loss of their dynamic point guard, losing in five games.
Westbrook had two more surgeries on that knee to clear up the injury. He missed the first two games this season against the Rockets, both won by the Thunder, because of those complications and returned to the court on March 2.