Bradley Beal Scores 34 In Wizards 124-110 Win Over Warriors, Sets Franchise Record

Ever since Bradley Beal was snubbed from making a third consecutive All-Star team, he’s put together some notable performances including back-to-back 50 point games. His 34 points in Sunday’s 124-110 victory over Golden State set a franchise record of most games (18) with at least 25 points.

“Honestly, I could care less about how I’m playing as long as we’re winning,” Beal said. “Because my career highs and those good games, what is the record? We’re 1-9 when I score 40 or something. That’s terrible. I’m not happy about that. I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘Oh yeah, but I scored 40.’ No, we got to win, and that’s what I’m about.”

Since returning from the All-Star break, Beal is averaging 36.0 points per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field. Coach Scott Brooks told ESPN how highly Beal is regarded among players and coaches.

“He’s been pretty good ever since I’ve been here, four years now he’s gotten better,” Brooks said. “We all know [what happened]. Unfortunately, he didn’t get it, but the players voted him second, that says a lot. The coaches, we think we know it all, we think we see it all, but the players know it. They know: He’s impossible to guard. He’s one of the elite [shooting guards]. Right now, there’s James [Harden]. He’s the only one scoring more points than him. He’s really efficient. … Can you imagine if he was an All Star what he’d be doing right now?”

Brooks later discussed the impact Beal’s had on a Wizards’ team that’s been without starting point guard John Wall since last season.

“Two words: He is a consistent winner,” Brooks said. “And that’s what it is about. In this league, you can have a game here and there, but in order to be special, you have to play with consistent play, and Brad does. … There were some defensive strategies out there tonight, and we see that they were double-teaming him and then running a box-and-one, and then it seemed like a box-and-one with a double-team. He finds a way. He finds a way to get buckets; he finds a way to get his teammates open, but the level of consistency that he plays with, to me, is what keeps him at that level of special.”

Beal is averaging a career-highs in points (30.4) and assists (6.1) while the Wizards fight for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They trail the Nets by four games.

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“You definitely want to leave your mark,” Beal said. “If [records] happen along the journey, those are great accolades. I’m definitely humbled and honored by them, but they don’t motivate me to go out there and do what I do. I play for a higher purpose more so than accolades.”

Article by Frank DeLorenzo