Bradley Beal had perfect response to Suns’ being swept in NBA Playoffs

At least Bradley Beal is self-aware in defeat.

Bradley Beal made a bold declaration with the Phoenix Suns trailing 3-0 in their first round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. After the Suns’ Game 3 loss, Beal told reporters “I’ve never been swept a day in my life ... I’ll be damned if that happens.”

Beal’s quote always had the potential to go viral if the Suns lost Game 4. That’s exactly what happened. The Wolves finished off Phoenix, 122-116, on Sunday night to complete the sweep. Within minutes, the official Timberwolves account posted a quote-graphic of Beal’s remarks with “first time for everything.” Beal certainly contributed to the season-ending loss by scoring only nine points on 13 field goal attempts in the elimination game.

As Beal met the press in Phoenix for his end-of-season press conference, he came prepared with a joke to lighten the mood for his opening statement. Watch the video here:

Beal said “I’ll be damned, man,” which drew a big laugh from the reporters circling him. While it’s nice that Beal was self-aware at his lowest point of the season, it’s also a joke that probably isn’t very funny to Suns fans right now.

Here’s the original Beal quote-graphic again before the Game 4 loss:

The Suns made a big bet on Beal going into this season as the perfect third star to pair with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. It went about as poorly as possible: injuries limited Beal to only 53 games, and the Suns have found cohesion between their three stars. Phoenix was out-scored by 51 points with Beal on the floor in the series. He has three years, $160 million left on his contract, and Phoenix has already depleted their draft capital by putting together this roster.

It’s going to be a fascinating offseason for the Suns. At least Beal can laugh all the way to the bank.