BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – FEBRUARY 28: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards celebrates after scoring against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter at TD Garden on February 28, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Wizards 111-110. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Bradley Beal dropped over 40 points Sunday in a Wizards loss to keep an infamous streak alive.
Bradley Beal was absolutely dominant Sunday. Unfortunately, his Washington Wizards fell to the Boston Celtics even though Beal scored 46 points. The Wizards did make it close, falling by a final score of 111-110.
Beal going off and his team losing has become a recurring theme this season. In fact, his latest 40-point performance in a loss builds up an NBA record he holds.
Bradley Beal continues to make unwanted history
This streak is some truly historic stuff. At this point, Beal may want to stop shooting once he reaches 38 or 39 points in a game. The Wizards dropping 11 in a row when he reaches 40 points is a major concern.
Looking at the box score helps illustrate the problem. In addition to Beal’s 46 points, Russell Westbrook added 24. The other three starters combined for a total of two points.
Beal and Westbrook also combined for 51 of the team’s 89 shot attempts. Beal taking 29 shots and scoring 40 points is different than if he does so in a more efficient manner that also gets his teammates more involved. The entire team had a total of 16 assists in the game.
The Wizards are an extremely top-heavy team, and Beal can only do so much. Blaming him or his 46 points for the loss would be foolish, and the team as a whole has actually looked better in February with a 7-3 record in the past 10 games. They are still well in the play-in tournament hunt at 13-19 as the All-Star break approaches.
Getting a break may be what the Wizards need. Washington was thrown off in January with a shutdown related to COVID-19. Getting a bit of a reset could help the supporting cast take the pressure off Beal and not force him to need to score 40 just for the Wizards to compete on a nightly basis.