Bradley Beal came off the bench for the first time in nine years and scored 25 points as the Phoenix Suns ended a four-game skid with a 109-99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Russell Westbrook spent most of his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers fighting off a possible benching and his second season with them begrudgingly accepting it. It's an inevitable part of life in the NBA.

It’s understandable that Beal was caught off-guard. He has been advertised as one leg of this big three in Phoenix since the moment he waived his no-trade clause about a year and a half ago to approve a trade out of Washington.