On what was supposed to be his revenge game, Bradley Beal instead had a night to forget in his return to Phoenix, as the Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 115–102 at the Mortgage Matchup Center.
Booed loudly by the home crowd from the opening tip, Beal’s struggles only worsened as he went cold from the field, landing just two of his 14 shot attempts.
Bradley Beal Addresses Forgettable Return to Phoenix
Beal was acquired by the Suns in a blockbuster trade in June 2023 and was expected to form a dominant trio alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Instead, injuries limited him to fewer than 54 games in each of his two seasons, and the Suns failed to win a single playoff game during his tenure.
Phoenix moved on this summer, trading away both Durant and Beal. The latter agreed to a contract buyout that freed him to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, though the Suns will still pay nearly $99 million owed on the final two years of his terminated deal over the next five seasons. And unsurprisingly, frustration from fans still lingers.
Phoenix Suns fans are booing Bradley Beal every time he touches the ball he left a bad taste in our mouth I guess 😂 @Suns pic.twitter.com/4IaPcPdCGr
— Ignatius L. Jackson, CPA (@ignatiuscpa) November 7, 2025
Beal was greeted with loud boos upon entering the Mortgage Matchup Center, and the crowd only grew harsher as his shooting woes mounted. Still, he remained professional when addressing the reception and downplayed the emotional weight of his return.
“It was another game,” he said. “I think ya’ll probably are going to blast it a little more than I am, but it was another game.”
“You got fans that didn’t like me here. You got fans that did like I was here. You can’t please everybody. I learned at a very young age. You drive yourself crazy trying to make everybody happy. I’ve enjoyed my time here. I’ve enjoyed playing for this organization. They made a decision. Move on. It is what it is. Don’t have any hard feelings. People are going to boo. It’s part of the game. It’s part of being a fan. I’ll see you Saturday.”
“It was another game. I think ya’ll probably are going to blast it a little more than I am, but it was another game.”
Bradley Beal on return to Phoenix as Suns topped Clippers, 115-102.
On fans booing: “You got fans that didn’t like me here. You got fans that did like I was… pic.twitter.com/wJU6vTVEfE
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 7, 2025
Beal finished just 2-of-14 from the field (1-for-5 from three) for five points in 20 minutes. His struggles were consistent with his slow start to the season, as he’s averaging just eight points in 20 minutes per game.
Asked how he plans to bounce back, Beal remained optimistic: “Get healthy. More than that, just keep playing. It’s going to come…We wouldn’t be pros if we couldn’t be mentally tough enough to move on to the next game.”
The Clippers dropped to 3–5 on the season, while the Suns improved to 4–5. And although it’s still early, it’s safe to say the trades are working out for Phoenix. The Suns received Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green in the Durant deal, and Green erupted for 29 points in his electric debut on Thursday night.
