Bradley Beal received a nice video tribute while Phoenix’s starters were being introduced in Washington.
Then he went out and offered a few more clips for any future highlight reels.
Beal was brilliant in his return to Washington on Sunday, scoring a season-high 43 points as the Suns rolled to a 140-112 victory over the Wizards. He might have scored 50 if he hadn’t been pulled with 8:44 remaining because of his team’s huge lead. He received a nice ovation from the crowd as he left.
“Tonight was awesome,” Beal said. “To be back in the city that has helped me grow as a man, drafted me on my 19th birthday. … A lot of good memories, man, and that tribute video was awesome.”
Beal played 11 seasons with the Wizards before he was traded to Phoenix last offseason. Washington was heading in a different direction, as evidenced by the team’s current record of 9-40. Now Beal has a chance to play on a star-studded team alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
“It was a mutual decision back in the summer. It wasn’t a spiteful or like a disgusting divorce,” Beal said. “It was a good separation. No hard feelings in it.”
After acknowledging a standing ovation from the crowd during the pregame tribute and patting his chest, Beal put on a show, scoring 14 points in the first quarter and 12 more in the second. A two-handed breakaway dunk gave him 20 points. Another dunk in the third quarter gave him 35.
Wearing a black protective mask after breaking his nose last week, Beal finished the third quarter with a 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left — then shot a free throw when Washington was called for a technical foul. That gave him 41 points.
When the Wizards played at Phoenix in December, Beal couldn’t participate because of a sprained ankle. This was only his 26th game of the season, and the Suns want their three stars to gain experience playing together before the playoffs.