Despite injuries, Wall, Beal expect to play in Game 2 for Wizards
Wizards guards John Wall and Bradley Beal both said they expect to play in Game 2 Tuesday despite injuries suffered in the Eastern Conference semifinal series opener against the Hawks.
Wall suffered a left wrist injury taking a fall in the second quarter. He got the wrist taped and continued to play. Wall reportedly had a swollen hand and thumb at practice Monday.
“I thought I broke it a first,” Wall told the Washington Post. “…You never know when you’ve got a lot of energy and power going into the ground.”
Beal suffered what looked like a serious injury when he sprained his right ankle landing on Al Horford’s foot in the fourth quarter. He went to the locker room but returned to the game with a limp after X-rays were negative. Beal told the Washington Post there was not as much swelling in his ankle as expected.
The backcourt duo combined for 46 points in the 104-98 Game 1 win over the Hawks.
The Hawks had an injury scare of their own when guard Jeff Teague re-aggravated a right ankle sprain and briefly left the game. He was re-taped and returned to play.
The Hawks did not practice Monday, opting for a film session and recovery.
“Having not been given a real update, I’m assuming he is in a good place,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said.
About the Author
Chris Vivlamore is the sports editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has served as reporter and editor at the AJC since 2003.
