Houston Rockets guard John Wall did not play in Wednesday’s game at Brooklyn with what the team referred to as “left knee effusion,” and his return timetable is unclear, per head coach Stephen Silas.
For Wall, the issue traces back to a practice collision in Sacramento on March 10, just as the team was preparing to resume play out of the All-Star break. Wall missed five games with the injury, and multiple reports indicated that he plans to eventually have that knee scoped — which could end his 2020-21 season prematurely.
After missing five games with the injury, Wall then played in seven straight for the Rockets, including a pair of back-to-backs. However, he shot just 31.5% from the field and 24.4% on 3-pointers over that period, which are well below his norms. In pregame comments, Silas admitted that the injury was evident in some of Wall’s on-court movements.
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While Silas left the door open for Wall to potentially return as early as Houston’s next game on Friday in Boston, he was very non-committal on the future. When asked if the knee might need a procedure, Silas said:
I don’t know the answer to that. I just know that it’s been bothering him. It bothered him yesterday to the point where he wasn’t able to [practice]. We had an optional thing yesterday, and he didn’t want to do it. Most guys were in it, but he didn’t want to because of his injury. I don’t know what it really looks like, to be honest.
I think you can look out there and tell that that, you know, he’s moving a little bit slower. He’s trying as hard as he can to fight through this injury, but it remains to be seen, as far as the next step, or how long it’ll be. Hopefully it’ll be just tonight, and he’ll play in Boston.
A five-time All-Star over his distinguished career, Wall is averaging 20.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in 31.8 minutes per game. Now 30 years old, it’s his first NBA season with the Rockets after a decade in Washington.
With Wall sidelined, the Rockets started Kevin Porter Jr., Sterling Brown, Danuel House Jr., Jae’Sean Tate, and Christian Wood in Brooklyn.
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