NBA: Wizards’ John Wall has broken wrist and hand
Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) goes up for a shot against Atlanta Hawks Al Horford, left, and Kyle Korver in the second half of an NBA second-round basketball payoff series game, Sunday, May 3, 2015, in Atlanta. Washington won 104-98. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
WASHINGTON–Washington point guard John Wall has five fractures in his left wrist and hand that could sideline him for the rest of the Wizards’ second-round NBA playoff series against Atlanta.
The team announced the diagnosis on Thursday, days after Wall was hurt in Washington’s victory over the Hawks on Sunday in the series opener.
Eastern Conference top seeds Atlanta struck back in game two to level the series at one game apiece, and the loss of All-Star Wall is a hard blow to the Wizards’ hopes of advancing from the best-of-seven series.
The Wizards said Wall is working with multiple physicians and specialists to map out a course of action.
The 24-year-old, fifth-year pro posted 17.6 points and 10.0 assists per game in the regular season, and averaged 17.4 points and 12.6 assists over five games in the playoffs — including Washington’s four-game sweep of the Toronto Raptors in the first round.
Wall and the Wizards thought he had sprained his left wrist when he fell hard under the basket late in the first half of Washington’s 104-98 win over Atlantaon Sunday.
He remained in the game, finishing with 18 points, and initial X-rays did not reveal the broken bones that later tests discovered.
He was a late scratch from game two because of swelling in his wrist and hand.
“We knew maybe there’s not good news there,” Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. “We will see as we move forward what that actually means.”
