It was impossible to tell that John Wall had several fractures in his left hand Wednesday night in Game 5, as he flew up and down the court, making his usual array of spectacular plays.
Wall made a surprising return to action after missing the previous three games, but it wasn’t enough for the Washington Wizards, who went down 82-81 to the Atlanta Hawks are now facing Playoff elimination.
It was announced that the All-Star point guard would suit up with about 20 minutes remaining until tipoff.
Per the AP:
Returning to the playoffs after missing the previous three games, the Washington Wizards star scored 15 points and made what could have been a game-saving block in the closing seconds Wednesday night. […] “I didn’t have any problems with my hand,” said Wall. “I was able to play aggressive and make plays, so I was fine.”
Wall hit 7 of 16 shots, dished out seven assists, grabbed four rebounds, made four steals, and came up with his second block when Dennis Schroder drove to the basket for the Hawks with the clock winding down and Washington clinging to an 81-80 lead. […] If the Wizards could have grabbed the rebound, it probably would have been over. But (Al) Horford made a game-saving play for the Hawks, who now have a chance to wrap up the series in the next game.
After showing no apparent problems during pregame warmups, the Wizards announced that Wall would be active. Coach Randy Wittman had already said Wall would not dress unless he was going to play, but Washington didn’t name him as the starter right away. Wittman even submitted a lineup that only listed four players. There was a dash drawn through the fifth spot. […] “I thought he was great considering everything,” Wittman said. “I don’t think he played tentatively at all. I never saw him wince or anything bother him, so that’s good. He played like John — all out.”
