NEW YORK (AP) — Patrick Beverley was suspended one game without pay by the NBA on Saturday after shoving Chris Paul in the back in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals.

The Los Angeles Clippers guard will miss the first game of the 2021-22 regular season that he is eligible to play.

Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations, ruled that Beverley committed an unsportsmanlike act when he came up behind Paul and forcefully shoved him as the teams went to their benches for a timeout with 5:49 remaining in the fourth quarter of the game Wednesday. Beverley drew a technical foul and was ejected.

Paul scored 41 points in the Suns' 130-103 victory that sent them to the NBA Finals.