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Despite missing just over half the campaign, Bradley Beal made his mark on the Wizards’ 2021-22 season. Beal led the team in scoring a team-best 26 times. He scored 20-plus points in 27 of his 40 games and 30-plus points seven times. The three-time All-Star also averaged 6.6 assists per game, a new career high, and led the team in dimes 28 times – most on the team. Here, we take a look at Beal’s top-five performances of the 2021-22 season.
December 18 at Utah:
37 PTS / 5 REB / 7 AST
13-24 (.542) FG / 2-5 (.400) 3P / 9-10 (.900) FT
To cap a run of five 25-point performances in seven games, Beal put on his most prolific scoring performance of the season in mid-December, scoring an efficient 37 points in a 109-103 win over the Jazz. Beal shot 54.2% from the field on 24 attempts, knocked down a pair of threes and made nine of his 10 free throws. He did most of his damage in the first two quarters, scoring 20 of his 37 points before halftime.
His contributions to the game were not limited to scoring. Beal added seven assists, five rebounds and a block to help lead Washington to the win. His first assist of the night, setting up Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a mid-range jumper, moved him into fourth place on the Wizards’ all-time assists leaderboard.
January 1 vs. Chicago:
27 PTS / 17 AST / 4 STL
8-20 (.400) FG / 11-13 (.846) FT
In one of the most memorable games of the Wizards’ 2021-22 season – a New Year’s Day battle with the Bulls highlighted by a pair of go-ahead threes in the final five seconds of the game – Beal played one of his best all-around games of the year. In addition to scoring 27 points – one of eight-straight games with at least 25 points – Beal recorded a career-high 17 assists, two more than his previous high set three years earlier, and turned the ball over just twice. His 11-13 (.846) night from the free throw line set season highs in both free throws and attempts.
October 30 vs. Boston:
36 PTS / 7 REB / 6 AST
12-32 (.375) FG / 3-8 (.375) 3P / 9-9 (1.000) FT
In just his fifth game of the 2021-22 year, Beal showed he was already in mid-season form, going off for a game-high 36 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a double-overtime win over the Celtics. Beal closed the night strong, scoring eight of the Wizards’ 12 points in the two overtime periods. The All-NBA guard played 46 total minutes and went back and forth with Boston wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who combined to score 61 points of their own. Beal’s big night helped the Wizards improve to 5-1, part of a franchise-best 10-3 start to the season.
January 3 vs. Charlotte:
35 PTS / 7 REB / 8 AST
11-22 (.500) FG / 3-8 (.375) 3P / 10-11 (.909 FT)
Alongside a 36-point performance from Kyle Kuzma, Beal scored 35 points of his own to propel a shorthanded Washington team to a three-point win over the Hornets. The Wizards trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half before a quick scoring sequence by Beal kick-started a 30-10 run to take a six-point lead. Beal scored 20 of his 35 points in the second half en route to one of his five games with at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists.
December 30 vs. Cleveland:
29 PTS / 6 REB / 10 AST
13-23 (.565) FG / 2-5 (.400) / +16
In one of the Wizards’ most decisive wins of the season, a 17-point victory over the Cavaliers in late December, Beal made his return from a three-game absence and didn’t miss a beat. He recorded his third double-double of the season, totaling 29 points on 13-23 (.565) shooting to go along with 10 assists and six rebounds. Beal’s 21 first-half points were the most he scored in any single half last season.