Bradley Beal is balling right now!
The Wizards shooting guard erupted for his second-straight 40-point game on Sunday to lead Washington to a 135-128 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The ultra-efficient Beal reached 40 on just 17 shots, drilling a career-high nine 3-pointers on 12 attempts, adding seven assists and five rebounds on the night. Beal now has five 40-point games on the season.
Bradley Beal has scored 40 points in each of his last two games. Over the last 20 years, only two other @WashWizards players had 40-or-more points in consecutive games: Michael Jordan (two such streaks in 2001-02 season) and Gilbert Arenas (once in 2005-06 season).
— Elias Sports Bureau (@EliasSports) March 17, 2019
In a back-and-forth game which included 20 lead changes, Beal was the man down the stretch for the Wizards, draining a 3-pointer to give the Wizards a 119-114 lead with 6:03 remaining. His layup a minute later made the lead 121-114 and then when the Wizards needed him most, he produced again, hitting a wild layup with 22.4 seconds left to put the game away.
Jabari Parker added 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Bobby Portis scored 18 points.
Another night, another 40-PIECE from the one and only Mr. Bradley Beal 😤 pic.twitter.com/2Z4kmHrsMd
— NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) March 17, 2019
Beal joins Michael Jordan (2001-02) and Gilbert Arenas (2005-06) as the only Wizards in the past 20 years to record back-to-back 40-point games and also became the first Wizards/Bullets player to make eight 3-pointers in a game since Trevor Ariza knocked down 10 triples in 2014.
While the Wizards still have plenty of work to do if they are to sneak into the Eastern Conference playoffs, Beal is doing everything he can to will his team there, thriving as the primary option.
Since the All-Star break, Beal is averaging 31.2 points per game, 6.9 assists and 6.3 rebounds on 50.4% shooting from the field and 40% from the 3-point line on 8.8 attempts.
With Sunday's win, the 11th placed Wizards now sit 3.0 games back of the Miami Heat for the eighth seed and although they are currently outside the playoff picture, Beal has made a strong case for an All-NBA selection, an accolade his coach Scott Brooks says he deserves.
"In my biased opinion, he's All-NBA," Brooks said post-game.
"When he's playing, he's doing things that that level of player does night in and night out. It's not every other night, it's not two out of three night, it's every night he brings it.
"He's playing good basketball, he's leading us, that's what he expects himself to do every night."
