Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Bradley Beal's injuries continue to derail Suns' momentum

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Nov 29, 2024 6:04 AM ET

The Phoenix Suns can't catch a break.

On Tuesday, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal made triumphant returns from injuries in the Suns' 127-100 rout of the Lakers. The victory was so impressive that one analyst declared them the second-best team in the West.

Exactly 24 hours later, in a 127-117 loss to the Nets, Beal limped off the court in the fourth quarter after tumbling to the floor. He did not return to the court. After the game, Beal told reporters he was dealing with pain in both his left ankle and calf.

The comments raised serious concerns since Beal had played just two games since returning from a left-calf injury that caused him to miss five straight games. Furthermore, Beal, 31, has dealt with various lower extremity injuries over the past four seasons. He missed a combined 101 games between the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons and has already sat out seven games this season.

Suns guard Bradley Beal said he "tweaked" his left ankle in 4th quarter of Suns loss to Nets. Added his left calf was tightening up.

Missed five games with left calf strain. 2nd game back. Was upgraded from questionable to available for tonight's game. #Suns pic.twitter.com/MY9V91sj4x
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 28, 2024

In the seven games that Beal has skipped thus far, the Suns are 2-5. With him in the lineup, the Suns are 8-3, a winning rate that would give them a top-three seed in the crowded Western Conference.

It's crystal clear that Pheonix needs a healthy Beal to challenge the Thunder, Nuggets and Mavericks for supremacy in the West. Unfortunately, after Wednesday's loss, Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer didn't sound too optimistic about his star guard's status for the team's upcoming slate of home games against the Warriors and Spurs.

If Beal were to miss extended time again, the ninth-seeded Suns (10-8) could lose significant ground in a tight Western Conference that features a whopping 10 teams above .500 (as of Friday) and another two, the Kings and Timberwolves, within striking distance.

When the Suns put together the Big 3 of Durant, Beal and Devin Booker, the expectation was "championship or bust," and rightfully so, given the resumes of the three stars. However, these Suns will likely go down in history among a long line of teams that didn't live up to their high billing due to injuries.

These Suns were supposed to break out of the shortlist of franchises that have never hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Nearly two years into the experiment, it doesn't seem meant to be.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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