Elite backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal emerges for Wizards

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article_body => "The career-high 42 points from Bradley Beal didn't come from the Wizards doing anything special. They found something that worked against the Phoenix Suns, forcing to chase him on curls around screens from Marcin Gortat, and realized they couldn't stop it. <\/p>\nThe result was a comeback in the fourth quarter for a 106-101 victory, with Beal shooting 14-for-22 from the field and John Wall who dished out seven of his game-high 15 assists to his backcourtmate. <\/p>\n"John just kept calling plays for me. They just kept coming to me," said Beal, who scored 10 consecutive points during a four-minute stretch of the third quarter to keep Phoenix from pulling away. "I just stayed aggressive. The basket just felt like it was an ocean."<\/p>\nWhat worked? Running Beal off screens from the post players. The Suns aren't good at second efforts on defense and tend to relent on the curls by Beal around the pindowns. That area is a strength of Marcin Gortat's game to free shooters.<\/p>\n"I got to give credit to my teammates. They did a great job screening. John did a great job of finding me," Beal said. <\/p>\nWall had a difficult night shooting (6-for-24) but he sealed the victory with a personal 7-0 run in the final 1:08. His putback of a blocked shot on Gortat tied the score at 101. He was fouled and his free throw broke it. Phoenix couldn't score again.<\/p>\nIt was a scene reminsicent of how Wall and Beal began the 2015-16 season, when they took turns carrying the Wizards offensively during long stretches and closing out opponents for a 3-1 start.<\/p>\nThis season, they're playing out of a hole at 4-9. <\/p>\nBeal, who signed a $128 million deal in the offseason, had back-to-back games of 30-plus points for the first time in his career. He also made it to the foul line 11 times in this game, making nine. Beal is 20 of 22 on free throws in his last three games. Wall was 5-for-5 from the stripe. <\/p>\nAnd Beal is coming off a right thigh injury that forced him to sit for three games. He played 40 minutes vs. Phoenix and likely will have his workload lightened until the next game at the Orlando Magic on Friday. <\/p>\n"I didn't defend him so I don't know why it was so tough," Suns coach Earl Watson said of Beal. "He played really determined tonight. ... He is always moving, getting offensive rebounds from the perimeter. They did a great job of finding him. John Wall did a great job of putting him in position. Dynamic backcourt."<\/p>\nDevin Booker had a team-high 30 points as he made 6 of 9 threes. He couldn't match Beal, or Wall down the stretch.<\/p>\n"He was getting too good of looks, getting open threes, justs things that you can't give a playere like him," Booker said. "Same with John Wall. Even when he was shooting poorly in the first half, he was still being aggressive. You know they are eventually going to fall. We are in the NBA. Those are great players, especially those two right there."<\/p>\n[RELATED: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.csnmidatlantic.com\/washington-wizards\/takeaways-wizards-4th-win-season-over-suns-beals-career-night\">TAKEAWAYS FROM WIZARDS' 4TH WIN OF SEASON OVER SUNS<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n"
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Wizards

The career-high 42 points from Bradley Beal didn't come from the Wizards doing anything special. They found something that worked against the Phoenix Suns, forcing to chase him on curls around screens from Marcin Gortat, and realized they couldn't stop it.

The result was a comeback in the fourth quarter for a 106-101 victory, with Beal shooting 14-for-22 from the field and John Wall who dished out seven of his game-high 15 assists to his backcourtmate.

"John just kept calling plays for me. They just kept coming to me," said Beal, who scored 10 consecutive points during a four-minute stretch of the third quarter to keep Phoenix from pulling away. "I just stayed aggressive. The basket just felt like it was an ocean."

What worked? Running Beal off screens from the post players. The Suns aren't good at second efforts on defense and tend to relent on the curls by Beal around the pindowns. That area is a strength of Marcin Gortat's game to free shooters.

"I got to give credit to my teammates. They did a great job screening. John did a great job of finding me," Beal said.

Wall had a difficult night shooting (6-for-24) but he sealed the victory with a personal 7-0 run in the final 1:08. His putback of a blocked shot on Gortat tied the score at 101. He was fouled and his free throw broke it. Phoenix couldn't score again.

It was a scene reminsicent of how Wall and Beal began the 2015-16 season, when they took turns carrying the Wizards offensively during long stretches and closing out opponents for a 3-1 start.

This season, they're playing out of a hole at 4-9.

Beal, who signed a $128 million deal in the offseason, had back-to-back games of 30-plus points for the first time in his career. He also made it to the foul line 11 times in this game, making nine. Beal is 20 of 22 on free throws in his last three games. Wall was 5-for-5 from the stripe.

And Beal is coming off a right thigh injury that forced him to sit for three games. He played 40 minutes vs. Phoenix and likely will have his workload lightened until the next game at the Orlando Magic on Friday.

"I didn't defend him so I don't know why it was so tough," Suns coach Earl Watson said of Beal. "He played really determined tonight. ... He is always moving, getting offensive rebounds from the perimeter. They did a great job of finding him. John Wall did a great job of putting him in position. Dynamic backcourt."

Devin Booker had a team-high 30 points as he made 6 of 9 threes. He couldn't match Beal, or Wall down the stretch.

"He was getting too good of looks, getting open threes, justs things that you can't give a playere like him," Booker said. "Same with John Wall. Even when he was shooting poorly in the first half, he was still being aggressive. You know they are eventually going to fall. We are in the NBA. Those are great players, especially those two right there."