Bradley Beal scores 43 in return to Washington as Suns roll

WASHINGTON — Bradley Beal acquired a pleasant video tribute whereas Phoenix’s starters had been being launched in Washington.

Then he went out and supplied a number of extra clips for any future spotlight reels.

Beal was sensible in his return to Washington on Sunday, scoring a season-high 43 factors because the Suns rolled to a 140-112 victory over the Wizards. He might need scored 50 if he hadn’t been pulled with 8:44 remaining due to his staff’s big lead. He acquired a pleasant ovation from the group as he left.

“Tonight was superior,” Beal mentioned. “To be again within the metropolis that has helped me develop as a person, drafted me on my nineteenth birthday. … A whole lot of good reminiscences, man, and that tribute video was superior.”

Beal performed 11 seasons with the Wizards earlier than he was traded to Phoenix final offseason. Washington was heading in a distinct path, as evidenced by the staff’s present file of 9-40. Now Beal has an opportunity to play on a star-studded staff alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

“It was a mutual determination again in the summertime. It wasn’t a spiteful or like a disgusting divorce,” Beal mentioned. “It was separation. No laborious emotions in it.”

After acknowledging a standing ovation from the group in the course of the pregame tribute and patting his chest, Beal placed on a present, scoring 14 factors within the first quarter and 12 extra within the second. A two-handed breakaway dunk gave him 20 factors. One other dunk within the third quarter gave him 35.

Carrying a black protecting masks after breaking his nostril final week, Beal completed the third quarter with a 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left — then shot a free throw when Washington was referred to as for a technical foul. That gave him 41 factors.

He performed a bit firstly of the fourth, however the sport wasn’t actually unsure, and coach Frank Vogel ultimately took Beal out after he’d performed a game-high 31:01.

“I used to be not even going to go away him in to begin the fourth, to be sincere,” Vogel mentioned. “So we left him in a number of further minutes, however you need to method the sport the fitting means.”

Beal shot 16-of-21 from the sector and did not appear to be forcing issues, though he mentioned his teammates clearly needed him to shine.

“It wasn’t like one thing we talked about within the locker room, however you may form of sense the power of the staff, like that is what we had been going to do,” Beal mentioned. “And I am not mad at it.”

When the Wizards performed at Phoenix in December, Beal could not take part due to a sprained ankle. This was solely his twenty sixth sport of the season, and the Suns need their three stars to achieve expertise taking part in collectively earlier than the playoffs.

“It has been an adjustment for certain. You go from being very ball dominant to now you share that dominance with two different guys — and three, together with [Jusuf Nurkic],” Beal mentioned. “My function is completely totally different right here than what it was. It is a course of.”

Though the long run is thrilling for Beal in Phoenix, this weekend was an opportunity to return to his NBA roots and luxuriate in what Washington means to him.

“It was a really cool expertise, the previous few days,” Beal mentioned. “It was good to have the ability to see plenty of acquainted faces. That form of simply motivated me to play just a little bit more durable too, simply being appreciative for all the pieces all people’s ever executed for me right here, being appreciative for the place I’m and the staff that I am on now.”