Bradley Beal made the a lot of the unfamiliar function of substitute for the Phoenix Suns. That does not imply he needed to prefer it.
Beal came off the bench for the primary time in 9 years on Monday evening and scored a team-high 25 factors because the Suns snapped a four-game shedding streak with a 109-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Beal scored 20 factors within the second half as Phoenix overcame an early 12-point deficit and gained for simply the second time in 9 video games.
After the sport, the 31-year-old Beal stated he accepted coach Mike Budenholzer’s lineup change, however made it clear he considers himself a starter within the NBA.
“Coach made his choice. Dwell with it,” the three-time All-Star stated in a postgame interview with AZCentral.com. “It is form of twofold. I am a starter within the league. I firmly consider that. No disrespect to anyone, however I am a starter. … Coach decided. I am not going to take a seat there and argue with him. I am not going to take a seat right here and be a distraction.”
Beal final got here off the bench through the 2015-16 season whereas getting back from an damage with the Washington Wizards.
Budenholzer additionally moved Jusuf Nurkic, who was getting back from a three-game suspension for his role in a fight against Dallas, right into a reserve function and stated earlier than the sport each gamers dealt with the information nicely.
“I really feel like we wanted to make a change,” Budenholzer stated. “All through a 48-minute sport, you bought to determine your finest combos, your finest methods to attempt to have success. They’re two essential gamers to us, two superb gamers for us. We simply felt like we wanted to make a change.
“They’re execs. I talked to every of them individually. They need what’s finest for the staff. I’ve a variety of respect for them and an appreciation for them.”
Beal and Nurkic (5 factors, seven rebounds) gave the Suns’ bench an enormous increase because the Phoenix reserves outscored Philadelphia’s bench 54-7.
“What he was in a position to do tonight actually put us in an excellent spot, made a bunch of performs for himself, bunch of performs for his teammates,” Budenholzer stated of Beal. “He is been a professional. He was there for us tonight in an enormous method.”
Whereas he was there for the Suns on Monday, Beal was requested whether or not he believed the lineup transfer had something to do with commerce hypothesis.
“In that case, I should be addressed as a result of I maintain the playing cards,” stated Beal, who has a no-trade clause in his contract. “Till I’m addressed and someone says one thing otherwise, I will be a Solar.”
Reporting by The Related Press.
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]
Bradley Beal
Phoenix Suns
Nationwide Basketball Affiliation
Get extra from Nationwide Basketball Affiliation Comply with your favorites to get details about video games, information and extra
