Bradley Beal shines with 43 points in his return to Washington: ‘A lot of good memories’
Associated PressWASHINGTON — Bradley Beal received a nice video tribute while Phoenix’s starters were being introduced in Washington. “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. “So we left him in a few extra minutes, but you have to approach the game the right way.” Beal shot 16 of 21 from the field and didn’t seem to be forcing things too much, although he said his teammates clearly wanted him to shine. “It wasn’t like something we talked about in the locker room, but you can kind of sense the energy of the team, like that’s what we were going to do,” Beal said. “And I’m not mad at it.” When the Wizards played at Phoenix in December, Beal couldn’t participate because of a sprained ankle.