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.

After losing seven of their last eight games, Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer made a tough decision on Monday night—taking guard Bradley Beal out of the starting lineup and playing him off the bench. It was the first time since 2015-16 that the 31-year-old didn't start in an NBA game.