One week into his new role as the Phoenix Suns’ fittingly-sizzling sixth man, Bradley Beal’s message was loud and clear on January 11, 2025: although he wasn’t among the first five starting, he was one perfectly capable of finishing. Calm and veteran-like in his upcourt stride, Phoenix’s professional bucket-getter surveys a scene that includes everything from pick-and-rolls to defenders falling, and ultimately, a winnable one-on-one against Walker Kessler’s overmatched defensive stance. Working a trusty crossover to accelerate his journey to the rim, Beal — seeing no defender impeding his path — springboards into a noisy one-handed flush, tapping his head in celebration of a big-time jam. As evidenced by the game’s end result, the Suns were fans of both coast-to-coast finishes and wire-to-wire wins, never trailing as they outgunned the Utah Jazz in a deceptively-competitive battle. For his efforts, Phoenix’s three-time All-Star used a 31-minute cameo to collect 12 points, two rebounds, three assists, and a 3-pointer, with vintage-style performances arriving in the near future. · Jan 11, 2025