Through two games of their first-round NBA playoff series, Patrick Beverley appeared to be flustering Kevin Durant.
The Los Angeles Clippers guard had been tasked with pestering the Warriors star, and he had a modicum of success early on, as the series headed to L.A. knotted at one. That was after the Dubs blew a 31-point lead in Game 2, in which Durant turned the ball over nine times and put up just eight shots.
While Beverley's impact on Durant in the first two games was overblown, the veteran guard was able to get away with a lot of physical play on the two-time NBA Finals MVP. The Warriors reportedly didn't like that, as they sent in some tape of how Beverley was defending Durant to the league office, according to FOX Sports' Nick Wright.
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"The Warriors team — the organization — sent the NBA a bunch of clips leading up to Game 3 of what they think is Patrick Beverley holding, clutching, grabbing … pushing.,' Wright said, via Pro Basketball Talk.
Teams send tape to the league office all the time, so it's unlikely this will play a role in the series.
[RELATED: What we learned from Warriors' blowout win over Clippers in Game 3]
What will play a role, however, is the increased aggressiveness Durant showed Thursday night in the Warriors' blowout win in Game 3 at Staples Center.
Golden State Warriors
Durant torched Beverley and anyone else the Clippers threw at him in Game 3, pouring in 38 points on 14-of-23 shooting to lead the Warriors to a 132-105 win and a 2-1 series lead. From the opening tip, Durant got everything he wanted, and even two early fouls didn't stop the scorched-earth trail he was set on blazing through Staples Center.
After a few days of hearing how Beverley had gotten in his head, Durant reminded everyone of his greatness, and it looks like the Warriors woke up a few rounds earlier than expected.