Beal leads from bench, but says he’s a starter
PHILADELPHIA—Bradley Beal made the most of the unfamiliar role of substitute for the Phoenix Suns.
That doesn’t mean he had to like it.
“Coach made his decision. Live with it,” the three-time All-Star said.
Beal came off the bench for the first time in nine years on Monday night and scored a team-high 25 points as the Suns snapped a four-game losing streak with a 109-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Beal scored 20 points in the second half as Phoenix overcame an early 12-point deficit and won for just the second time in nine games.
After the game, the 31-year-old Beal said he accepted coach Mike Budenholzer’s lineup change, but made it clear he considers himself a starter in the NBA.
“It’s kind of twofold. I’m a starter in the league. I firmly believe that,” Beal said. “No disrespect to anybody, but I’m a starter. … Coach made a decision. I’m not going to sit there and argue with him. I’m not going to sit here and be a distraction.”
Beal last came off the bench during the 2015-16 season while returning from an injury with the Washington Wizards.
Bucks triumph
Budenholzer also moved Jusuf Nurkic, who was returning from a three-game suspension for his role in a fight against Dallas, into a reserve role and said before the game both players handled the news well.
“I feel like we needed to make a change,” Budenholzer said. “Throughout a 48-minute game, you got to figure out your best combinations, your best ways to try to have success. They’re two important players to us, two very good players for us. We just felt like we needed to make a change.
“They’re pros. I talked to each of them individually. They want what’s best for the team. I have a lot of respect for them and an appreciation for them.”
Beal and Nurkic (five points, seven rebounds) gave the Suns’ bench a huge boost as the Phoenix reserves outscored Philadelphia’s bench 54-7.
“What he was able to do tonight really put us in a great spot, made a bunch of plays for himself, bunch of plays for his teammates,” Budenholzer said of Beal. “He’s been a pro. He was there for us tonight in a big way.”
While he was there for the Suns on Monday, Beal was asked whether he believed the lineup move had anything to do with trade speculation.
“If so, I need to be addressed because I hold the cards,” said Beal, who has a no-trade clause in his contract. “Until I am addressed and somebody says something differently, I’ll be a Sun.”
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo posted his fourth triple-double of the season and Damian Lillard scored 25 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 128-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
Antetokounmpo scored 11 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and kept the Bucks offense clicking with his season-high 13 assists as the Bucks snapped a two-game skid.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Antetokounmpo’s passing—including 10 assists in the first half—”set the whole tone to our team.”
“When your best player does that it becomes contagious and the ball just moved,” Rivers said.
