Late in game one, Patrick Beverley fell to the ground and got up clutching his already injured right knee. Rockets fans immediately assumed the worst as Beverley could barely walk across the floor to take his place in the Rockets offense. And then, something incredible happened. Beverley, so hopped up on adrenaline that he could probably feel no pain, rose up and swatted a Damian Lillard layup attempt deep into the stands. A play later, he would foul out and was unable to go to the locker room on his own, putting his playoff status in jeopardy. However, this morning, with an MRI reportedly showing no further damage, Beverley has reportedly gotten the go ahead to play in game two, Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
We've long known that Beverley is a competitor, but if there was any doubt that he was the toughest, baddest motherf*cker on the roster, it has all but disappeared. There were times when it seemed like Beverley was a step slower and he did not have his best game of the season last night, and this can't help that. Still, if Beverley can walk, he can play, and his leadership and constant intensity are extremely valuable to the Rockets.
When the Rockets are trying to get fired up, it isn't James Harden or Dwight Howard rallying the troops, it's Beverley. He is the heart and soul of this team, and having him out would be a killer in terms of team chemistry. Let's just hope he doesn't do more damage to his knee in the next few games.