Beal shows off arm on touchdown pass to Harrell originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
With Washington Football Team wideout Terry McLaurin just a few rows away, Bradley Beal and Montrzel Harrell put on their best for the talented receiver.
Late in the fourth quarter, Beal collected a rebound on the defensive end and, with his feet spread apart like he was shooting a free throw, fired a pass the length of the floor to Harrell, who reeled in the pass with his right hand and went up for a layup.
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The Wizards lost, 109-103, but it was perhaps the highlight of a slow offensive night for the team in their loss.
“Yeah, it’s all instincts,” Beal said. “We had a little throwing day at practice in training camp with footballs. Trez got mad at me because I underthrew him a little bit. He’s a tight end, so he likes the ball high, where only he can get it. That’s something you learn. He has long arms and he knows how to go get the ball at its highest point — like receivers should do. I just threw it up, used a little bit of my old quarterback skills, and trust Trez to do the rest.”
The play wasn’t something the team practices often, at least with basketballs. But it’s something that Harrell feels confident in, whenever it may happen.
“I told them guys, ‘Whenever they put the ball out, no matter what, put it out there and I’m going to catch it and come down with it before it be in your guys’ turnovers,’” Harrell said. “I think they’re starting to get to the point where they have more confidence to put that lead pass out there, put that full-court pass out there.”
Beal’s downcourt passing skills have evidently improved since late summer, where even Harrell remembered the early stages of repping that drill in training camp.
“That pass was horrible,” Harrell said with a grin.
