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6 months ago
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Milwaukee Bucks star Patrick Beverley let his temper flare as his took his anger out on rival fans during the team's elimination from the NBA playoffs Thursday night.
The Bucks were sent packing as the Indiana Pacers sealed their series win with a 120-98 Game 6 victory over the No. 3 seed.
And Beverley proved himself to be a sore loser as tensions boiled over on the Milwaukee bench with the clock counting down towards their impending doom.
With under three minutes remaining of the Bucks' season-ending defeat, the guard's unsportsmanlike streak was captured on the TNT broadcast.
As Thanasis Antetokounmpo replaced Brook Lopez. Beverley threw a basketball at Indiana fans not once, but twice.
Milwaukee Bucks star Patrick Beverley let his temper flare during his team's elimination
The guard was captured launching a ball at Pacers fans multiple times during Game 6
Beverley and the Bucks were eliminated from the playoffs with a 120-98 loss to the Pacers
As Lopez high-fived his teammates, Beverley was seen chucking a ball towards the Pacers supporters sat behind the Bucks' bench, hitting a woman on the side of the head.
He then demanded the ball back from another fan, who kindly obliged but as soon as it was back in his hands, Beverley immediately launched it back him with a fair bit of force.
The furious guard had to be held back by his teammates as the stunned Pacers fans watched on in disbelief.
Beverley did not receive any discipline for his actions during the game, but the league is likely to review the incident and hand down whatever punishment they deem necessary, which could include a suspension, a fine or both.
Any potential suspension would have to be served next season since the Bucks have been eliminated and the guard is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Since the infamous 2004 'Malice at the Palace' brawl back in 2004, the NBA has understandably cracked down on players interacting with fans.
Beverley's frustration was palpable as he finished with just six points, five assists and two rebounds while going 3-for-11 from the field as the Bucks bowed out.
It wasn't the first time the series had become chippy with Bucks' Bobby Portis being ejected from Game 4 after getting into a shoving match with Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard.
The 35-year-old had to be held back by his teammates as things got heated on the bench
The Bucks were once again without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time league MVP never played after straining his left calf April 9.
Damian Lillard, meanwhile, returned from a right Achilles injury and played well - but was not nearly as dominant as he was in the first two games when he scored 69 points. Lillard finished with 28 points on 7-of-16 shooting.
Portis Jr. added 20 points and 15 rebounds for Milwaukee. Brook Lopez also had 20 points, and Khris Middleton had 14 points and eight rebounds.
But it wasn't enough to keep pace with the Pacers who won a playoff series for the first time in a decade.
The Pacers will face the winner of the Philadelphia-New York series in the Eastern Conference semifinals. New York took a 3-2 lead into Game 6 later Thursday.
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