Battered 'Bruise' is still a 'beast'

Even when battered, Patterson is still a 'beast'

John Clay / Herald-Leader Sports Columnist

John Clay

"A beast."

Rasheem Barrett said it first, there in the Auburn post-game news conference, saying the Kentucky center, the one with the injured finger on his right hand and the 21 points and 18 rebound in his stat line, was just, "A beast, plain as day."

Then Billy Gillispie repeated it, coming out for his post-game media duties, talking about his team's 73-64 win over Auburn, complimenting his sophomore center with the big heart and bigger drive.

"I thought Patrick was a beast out there, both offensively and defensively," said the Kentucky coach.

"That," said Patrick Patterson, "is a huge compliment."

We've come to almost take it for granted, that Patterson is going to play hard game in and game out, that he's going to fight and scratch and give his all from opening tip to final horn, no matter the circumstances.

But now there's even more reason to be appreciative — that white wrap on the middle finger of Patterson's right hand.

"I thought Pat was obviously affected by the finger tonight the most I've seen either in practice or a game," said Gillispie.

"No," said Patterson later, "it's actually affected me more in previous games."

But that's what he's going to say. That's the kind of kid he is — no excuses. Not that excuses were necessary on this night, one in which Patterson went 7-for-13 from the field, 7-for-9 from the free-throw line, even though his coach thought Patterson was "trying to lay the ball up" instead of shoot it, and when his rebound total turned out to be a career high.

"And you can tell it's bothering him," Barrett said. "In the (post-game) when you went to shake his hand, he pulled it back, so you know it's hurting."

Finally, with some prodding, Patterson agreed he didn't always shoot the way he wanted, that it was hard to feel the ball on his shot, hard to get a good rotation. This, even with a new wrap. Instead of taping two fingers together, the UK trainers decided just to put a single white wrap on the middle finger.

"It swelled up on me a little," Patterson said. "They came up with a jell wrap to go around to keep it from jamming my finger as much."

The trouble isn't the shot, or even grabbing a rebound. The trouble isn't at the free-throw line, where Patterson said he can spread his fingers enough to get a better feel of the basketball.

The problem is catching the basketball. That's where the injury happened in the first place, a couple of weeks ago in practice. Patterson insisted Wednesday night that there are no breaks, no cracks, no tendon or ligament problems — Gillispie said Tuesday that a first X-ray showed nothing; a second showed "a little deal" but wouldn't say what the little deal was.

Instead, Patterson insists the finger has just been jammed, and jammed, and jammed some more.

"I've never had anything like this," he said.

And yet, it doesn't matter. Certainly it doesn't matter with his intensity, or his effort, or the impression he makes on foes.

"I looked at him one time," said Barrett of a possession where the 6-foot-5 forward ended up guarding Patterson, "and I thought, 'I hope I can switch off.' "

And Barrett said this: "Even when he's not getting the ball, he works every possession up and down the floor, and it pays off."

"(Tonight) is the best I've seen him play all year," Gillispie said. "He's rebounding way above the rim, and he's doing it with both hands. Beast is the word. Man alive, he's something else."

We knew that before, but for a guy playing hurt, it doesn't hurt to be reminded.

Reach John Clay at (859) 231-3226 or (800) 950-6397, ext. 3226, or jclay@herald-leader.com. Read his blog at Kentucky.com.