As he left the arena Thursday night, Beal didn’t sound like someone ready to give in. His role has changed. He has not.

Bradley Beal scored 25 points, Kevin Durant added 23 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Atlanta Hawks 123-115 on Thursday night. Beal — still adjusting to his new role coming off the bench — shot 11 of 16 from the field in one of his most efficient games this season.

Before the game against the Hawks, the Suns had a pre-game huddle like any other team would, and typically all the players join in. Beal didn't, though, avoiding the team huddle. It seems the locker room chemistry is only getting worse, and having a star like Beal on the bench will certainly make that happen.