Washington Wizards coach Randy Wittman said Friday morning John Wall is a “game-time” decision. It’s fair to take that as meaning when Game 6 starts Friday night, it will have been long decided that Wall will participate in the game.
The Wizards are down 3-2 to the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals after a one-point loss in Atlanta on Wednesday. Wall played Game 5 with five fractures in his left wrist and hand and is prepared to go again in Game 6. He participated in shootaround Friday morning, walking off the court with no protection on the injured hand.
Wall said he did not get tired in Game 5 despite not playing for 10 days after injuring his hand in Game 1. He also pointed out that one member of the Hawks advised another to test his injured left hand.
“Dennis Schroder told Kent Bazemore to smack me,” Wall said. “I was like, ’You come smack me.’ …Competitive game.”
During pregame of Game 5, Wall warmed up with a full protective glove on his hand. He practiced shooting left-handed floaters with the glove on before taking it off. He explained Friday that the ball was slipping out of his hand when he wore the glove, so he changed back to just the protective pad he was wearing during workouts after the injury. He said he plans to wear the same pad in Game 6.
Wall also put together a double-gasp move early in the game during a fast break. At full speed, Wall used an in-and-out dribble with his injured hand to fake Jeff Teague, then finished the layup with his left hand. That was the first gasp. Wall ended up falling on the same end of the floor and in virtually the same spot and way as Game 1 when he was injured. That was the second gasp. He was able to get up this time.
“I got up, then I ran into a screen and got hit,” Wall said. “It’s going to take nicks and bruises. It’s going to be a little bit of pain in there, but if I can deal with it, I’m going to be fine.”
The Hawks did not change their defensive strategy because of the injury, according to Wall. He said Atlanta has been trying to funnel the Wizards’ ball-handlers to the left throughout the series.
“That’s why I made sure I was comfortable going left and doing what I wanted to,” Wall said.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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