Phoenix Suns star guard Bradley Beal meets with the media after the Suns (8-2) had their seven-game winning streak snapped with a 127-118 overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings (6-4) in their first game without Kevin Durant (calf strain).
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Beal had a season-high 28 points on 9-of-18 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and scored all seven of Phoenix’s points in overtime. He went down with a left knee injury in overtime after DeMar DeRozan landed on his leg, but did end up finishing the game.
DeRozan went off in the fourth quarter and overtime, scoring 24 of his game-high 34 points in these two periods on 9-of-10 shooting. The Suns looked gassed after mounting a comeback of their own in the second half. Beal and Devin Booker had a few uncharacteristic airballs in the fourth quarter and overtime. Sacramento shot 7-for-8 in overtime as a team, as De’Aaron Fox (21 points and 12 rebounds on the night) had eight points in overtime, as did DeRozan. Phoenix, meanwhile shot 2-for-9 (22.2%) as a team in OT and 1-for-7 (14.3%) from 3.
The Suns next travel to take on the Utah Jazz Tuesday, but Beal’s status remains to be determined.
Key quotes from Beal (via Suns):
- On staying in the game after tweaking his knee: “Adrenaline. With three minutes left, I felt like we had a good flow. We just couldn’t get a stop really down the stretch. But I was just going out there in the moment, I felt like, if I could just put some pressure on it then I was good. At first, I couldn’t. Then, obviously, as I stood up, I was seeing if I could put some pressure on it. Once I can do that and see I can jump, and I can do that, then I can try to go. So, I didn’t feel the greatest, but it was for three minutes.”
- On facing DeMar DeRozan in close games: “He is a tough guard. We are pros just like they are. We tip our hats off to him. Really tough team, really tough game. We lost and I think we beat ourselves for sure, still giving them credit, but I think we still could have closed it out. But I think we did some things to hurt us. But, I mean, that’s what Deebo (DeMar DeRozan) does. That’s who he has been for 16-plus years now. I’m not surprised by it.”
- On if he liked the quality of shots during the game for the Suns: “100%. (Devin Booker) was doing a good job of reading the double teams. We had a good open look at the end of the regulation. Got good looks in overtime, we just couldn’t hit them. We definitely love the quality of shots we were getting. I think Book had nine or ten assists. Ball was moving and bodies are moving. So, it was good, we just have to step up and knock them down.”
“It’s a little sore, but X-rays were negative, which is the best thing I could ask for. So probably just a bad bruise or something."
Bradley Beal postgame on his injury, which occurred after DeMar DeRozan fell into his leg. #Suns https://t.co/sjkZZzOugi pic.twitter.com/yuJVSy8c17
— Burn City Suns ☀️ (@BurnCitySuns) November 11, 2024
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
