Beal frustrated by Wizards' skid: 'I'm mad about losing'
Bradley Beal wants to see the Washington Wizards turn it around sooner rather than later.
Though Beal contributed 47 points, six assists, and four rebounds Wednesday night, the Wizards fell 124-106 to the New Orleans Pelicans. It was Washington's third straight loss as the 3-11 Wizards maintained the NBA's worst record.
Images of an exasperated Beal sitting on the bench late in the defeat quickly went viral on Twitter, continuing a running theme this season. The Wizards star said he has to work on hiding his emotions but admitted he's growing frustrated with the team's lackluster performances.
"I gotta be better with that," he said postgame, according to The Athletic's Fred Katz. "You guys, media is gonna blow everything up - rightfully so. I'm mad about losing. If I'm sitting there laughing and smiling, what is the media gonna say then?"
The Wizards aren't losing due to a lack of effort from Beal. Following Wednesday's defeat, he's now the only player in NBA history to lose 10 straight games in which he's scored 40 points or more, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
The 27-year-old guard leads the league in scoring with 35.4 points per game, 4.9 more than Kevin Durant in second place. Beal is contractually tied to the Wizards through at least 2021-22 after signing a two-year extension in 2019, and he has a $37.3-million player option for 2022-23.
Trade rumors regarding the two-time All-Star will naturally grow louder ahead of the March deadline if Washington's slide persists. But Beal said he still wants to bring a title to D.C.
"It’s tough. We wanna win. I wanna win. This is why I stayed," he said. "I wanna win (here). I figure this is the place I can get it done."
The Wizards next play Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.