Lakers: Watch Professional Irritant Patrick Beverley's Feud With Damian Lillard

Pat Bev, as he is wont to do, annoyed the best guard on the floor.

Los Angeles Lakers starting "shooting" guard Patrick Beverley has basically become the NBA equivalent of an enforcer in hockey in the dotage of his playing career. Though he is no longer an All-Defensive Team level player, the 34-year-old remains an expert gets under opponents' skin, needling other perimeter players with cheap-shot fouls and the occasional animated yapping more than with sound defensive acumen.

He's already effectively annoyed the heck out of Portland Trail Blazers All-Star point guard Damian Lillard today in the first half of an ongoing battle in Portland, though it's unclear if that ultimately had a positive or negative impact on the Lakers' chances. Allow us to explain.

While Lillard was at the free throw line with Portland leading 40-38, Beverley started berating him. Lillard responded with a less-than-civil "I'll beat your ass" during the semi-fracas. Beverley was assessed a technical, allowing Lillard to get yet another free throw try.

Dame and Pat Bev chirping 👀 pic.twitter.com/NLANKDRE79

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 23, 2023

All this chatter yielded a brutal 31-8 Trail Blazers run down the stretch of the game's second quarter, with Portland clearly hungry and motivated to embarrass LA. Lillard himself was responsible for 13 of those points between his six scored points and four assists following their heated conversation. The Blazers entered the half with a 25-point edge, 71-46. But in this fast-paced, three-point-crazy NBA, no lead is safe, and the Lakers shaved that advantage to just five points heading into the game's final quarter. Tune in for the finish on Spectrum SportsNet.

Beverley had scored a modest two points on 1-of-2 shooting through the contest's first half, with his biggest contributions being on the defensive end -- and the smack-talking end too, I suppose.