Patrick Beverley Rallies Past Andre Drummond to Reach NBA 2K20 Tournament Semis

Patrick Beverley and Andre Drummond treated fans to a potential Eastern Conference playoffs preview in the second round of the NBA 2K Players Tournament on Thursday.

The 14th-seeded Patrick Beverley, who is never one to back down from getting into his opponent's head, chose the Philadelphia 76ers with one of Drummond's big-man rivals in Joel Embiid. Beverley dictated the tempo in the second half against the sixth seed's Milwaukee Bucks on the way to a 69-62 victory.

Despite the result in the second-round clash, the Cleveland Cavaliers center set the tone in the early going.

The Drummond-controlled Giannis Antetokounmpo caught fire in the first quarter as Milwaukee built a double-digit lead, but Beverley switched his strategy and started attacking the basket with Ben Simmons.

That, along with an improved effort on the defensive side that included a number of fouls to stop transition opportunities, helped the 76ers battle back and take the lead until Eric Bledsoe drilled a buzzer-beating three to give Milwaukee a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

From there, Beverley went to work in the post with Embiid and used an inside-outside attack to seize the advantage and extend it in the final minutes. Not even a late flurry from three-point range for Drummond's Bucks was enough to swing the tide in crunch time.

Just like he does on the court, Beverley didn't miss an opportunity to continue chirping as he pulled away into the semifinals.

The LA Clippers guard will face Deandre Ayton in the semifinals after the Phoenix Suns big man defeated Trae Young.