Washington Wizards rookie Bradley Beal has been on a tear of late, and it was only a matter of time before his improvement showed in a big way.
That time was on Monday night in the Wizards' impressive home win against the Oklahoma City Thunder when Beal hit a mid-range jumper to give Washington a walk-off victory.
From the man himself:
"The play in itself was just for me to have a high pick and roll with Kevin (Seraphin). In the pick and roll they were switching, so we were just going to go have me try to make a one-on-one play. At first they tried to switch but then it was miscommunication, (Thabo) Sefolosha backed off me and kind of created a lane and left (Kendrick) Perkins a little bit so I just drove the ball. They knew I was going to try and take a jumper so I just head-faked and they both went for it."
The shot is even more impressive not only because Beal had to beat the double team, but also because the players he was up against in Perkins and Sefolosha are known for their defensive prowess. The win against yet another NBA powerhouse has to give this young squad a lot of optimism for the future.
With the victory, the Wizards notched just their fifth win of the 2012-13 season. Two of those wins came over the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder -- the two teams that were in the NBA Finals last season.
It's worth watching a few times.