In a Game 4 of the first round playoff series between the Phoenix Suns and the Minnesota Timberwolves, tensions ran high. But it wasn’t just the scoreline that had fans talking—it was a seemingly innocuous interaction between Suns guard Bradley Beal and head coach Frank Vogel.
Midway through the third quarter, with the Suns trailing by a single point (76-75), Beal was subbed out of the game. As he jogged back to the bench, Vogel extended his hand for a high-five. But what happened next caught everyone’s attention: Beal appeared to slap away his coach’s hand, brushing it aside as he proceeded to high-five the rest of the bench normally.
Bradley Beal looked to brush Frank Vogel’s hand away while heading to the bench pic.twitter.com/EpFJomRKu9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 29, 2024
Speculation immediately swirled. Was Beal frustrated with his own performance? After all, he had scored a mere nine points on 4-of-13 shooting before fouling out. His six turnovers were also a glaring statistic. Perhaps the pressure of the playoffs got to him, and he took it out on Vogel.
While many people have since given their take on the topic, Bradley Beal himself said that this moment came out of frustration over his performance and the personal fouls he had amassed.
“I was just frustrated with fouls and I knew I was coming out, it wasn’t nothing against coach. Damn, I’m sorry, that probably did look bad….it wasn’t nothing towards coach. There’s nothing there.”
Bradley Beal confirmed what I said last night about this moment with Frank Vogel: “I was just frustrated with fouls and I knew I was coming out, it wasn’t nothing against coach. Damn, I’m sorry, that probably did look bad….it wasn’t nothing towards coach. There’s nothing there.” https://t.co/Xmsy4ErVPn pic.twitter.com/ftqfkmg9RY
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) April 29, 2024
