Why did Bradley Beal get ejected vs Rockets? Closer look as former All-Star's injury comeback gets cut short

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal sat out his team’s last five games due to a hamstring injury. He was, however, upgraded from probable to available for Saturday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets. Suns coach Frank Vogel told the media leading into the said game that Beal would be under minute restriction in his return.

Beal’s night was cut a little shorter than many expected. With 7:10 minutes left in the third quarter, the former Washington Wizards superstar had an altercation with Jalen Green. During an inbounds play, Beal hit Green’s head with the ball before passing it to teammate Devin Booker.

Once Bradley Beal was on the court after Booker was fouled, he held Jalen Green’s neck before shoving the Rockets guard. The three-time All-Star was promptly tossed out of the game following the said incident. He played 20 minutes and finished with seven points, two rebounds and two assists.

Green was also called for a technical foul but avoided an ejection. He has been playing well, leading the Rockets in trying to win on the road against the Suns. The high-leaping guard already had 26 points with nine minutes remaining in the game.

Bradley Beal was close to his minutes restriction when he was sent to the locker room. Still, losing him was something the Suns would have unquestionably wanted to avoid. They could use him late in the game if necessary.

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When will Bradley Beal return?

A suspension for the altercation is unlikely for Bradley Beal. He does not have a resume of skirmishes in his career. The shooting guard will likely be back less than 24 hours later when the Phoenix Suns host the OKC Thunder.

Although Beal will see limited action, his contributions will be crucial to the Suns who are trying to secure a guaranteed playoff spot. They are fifth in the Western Conference with a 35-24 record leading into the matchup against the Rockets. The Sacramento Kings (34-25), Dallas Mavericks (34-26) and the Golden State Warriors (32-27) are trying to chase them down. The LA Lakers, after Saturday’s 124-114 loss to the Denver Nuggets, are still capable of challenging for an outright postseason spot as well.

The Phoenix Suns need everyone to contribute. They need Bradley Beal to help them jockey for playoff positioning. Beal has already missed a significant amount of games due to injuries. He can’t afford to be on the sidelines for something like what happened against Jalen Green.