The second round NBA Playoffs series between the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks shifts back up north for Game 3 with one of the most important stars potentially out. The Wizards announced on Friday that point guard John Wall was suffering from fractures in his wrist, making his status up in the air. The Wizards and Hawks are fighting for the series lead on Saturday.
Wall did not play in Game 2 and the Wizards fell to the Hawks after getting the win in Game 1. After being diagnosed with five non-disclosed fractures in his wrist, Wall admits that he could be out for Game 3. He told the media that he can certainly dribble, but the pain is bad and there is risk for hurting his hand down the road. The Wizards faired well in his absence, but lost 106-90. Ramon Sessions started at point guard and put up 21 points in the effort.
Injuries have been an issue for the Wizards. Bradley Beal is playing through a sprained ankle. The star had 20 points and seven assists in Game 2. The bench certainly helped out. Otto Porter and Paul Pierce each had 15 points a piece, but the Hawks opened things up in the fourth quarter and never looked back. Pierce is currently averaging 16.0 points in the playoffs while Marcin Gortat is putting up 15.2 points per game as Washington is 5-1 in the playoffs this season.
Atlanta cannot afford to overlook the Wizards without Wall. The Hawks has yet to be consistent enough to where they can afford to get comfortable. Game 2 showed some improvement. DeMarre Carroll added 22 points to his impressive postseason resume. Paul Millsap and Al Horford each had 18 a piece as they defeated Nene. However, Jeff Teague struggled shooting 7 for 26 in Game 2. Kyle Korver also failed to get anything going. His 49.2 3-point shooting percentage in the regular season is a distant memory as he is shooting just 37.8 percent over the past six games. After struggling on the road against Brooklyn, Atlanta has some work ahead of them in Washington.