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WASHINGTON (AP) — All-Star point guard John Wall was inactive for Game 3 of the Washington Wizards' Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday because of an injured left hand and wrist.
Wizards coach Randy Wittman said he does not know Wall's status beyond Saturday.
The playoff series was tied at a game apiece heading into Saturday night.
Wall has five non-displaced fractures in his non-shooting hand and wrist. He was hurt in Washington's Game 1 victory at Atlanta, then sat out Game 2, which the Hawks won.
Asked Saturday what he'd like to do better in Game 3 without Wall, Wittman initially replied: "Win."
Then the coach continued, saying: "I'm not going to put somebody on the floor that's John. We've just got to be who we are. We've got to play within ourselves. We've got to all play aggressive. We've got to be able to (do) ball movement more. John makes a lot of plays. The ball's in his hands a lot. The ball can't stick. We've got to either attack, (take) a shot or the ball's got to move now, from an offensive standpoint."
Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, is averaging a league-best 12.6 assists in the playoffs, along with 17.4 points, second on the team to shooting guard Bradley Beal.
Wall had hoped to be able to play in Game 2, but with his left wrist noticeably swollen, he struggled with various drills during pregame warmups.
Ramon Sessions replaced Wall in the starting lineup for that game and scored a team-high 21 points in Washington's 106-90 loss. Sessions was listed as a starter Saturday, too.
Wall said Friday that he had "no idea" about his playing status and that his wrist is "moving better, but there's still pain there."
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