CHICAGO (AP) — Bradley Beal finally took his spot on the court for Phoenix on Wednesday night, giving the Suns two of their three stars against the Chicago Bulls.
Beal had 13 points after sitting out the first seven games of the season because of a back injury. The Suns beat the Bulls 116-115 in overtime.
Acquired from Washington in June, the three-time All-Star guard played 24 minutes. The Suns still await Devin Booker’s return from a calf injury.
“He was good in stretches and you could tell he was a little bit rusty in stretches, which was to be expected,” Vogel said. “A difficult opponent.”
Vogel said the team determined before the game that Beal wouldn’t play in an overtime.
Beal said he was frustrated, but added, “I’m glad we pulled out the win. That’s why we have a great team with a lot of depth.”
Beal averaged 22.1 points in 11 seasons with Washington. Coach Frank Vogel said the three-time All-Star guard would see limited playing time against the Bulls.
‘We’re going to be smart with his rotation, not let him have too long of runs with it being his first game,” Vogel said. “We will have a minutes restriction, but it’s more of a range. We’re not going to put a number on it.”