John Wall injury update: Wizards start to miss at least two weeks

Washington Wizards star John Wall is expected to miss at least two weeks of action due to a knee injury. The All-Star point guard is suffering from an inflammation in his ailing left knee.

Before Saturday night's clash against the Portland Trail Blazers, Wall showed up on the sideline with the assistance of crutches. He needed a prop to walk after receiving platelet-rich plasma injections to reduce his knee soreness. Wall remained sidelined as Washington suffered a 108-105 defeat to the Blazers.

With Wall on the sidelines, the Wizards were heavily reliant on Bradley Beal and Otto Porto Jr. Amazingly, they were up by 17 points at the start of the fourth quarter yet couldn't secure a victory. With 21 seconds left in the game, Blazers guard CJ McCollum drilled a 20-foot jump shot over Porter to give Portland a 1-point advantage.

After the defeat, Beal said the team had to figure out hold onto big leads. “I wish we could explain it (why we keep losing leads). We’ve got to stay aggressive. We thought the game was over. The game is never over. They kept hitting. They were knocking down shots, getting stops… They closed it out. We didn’t.”

Coach Scott Brooks asks others to step up

Scott Brooks, coach of the Wizards, is confident that his players will step up to the challenge in Wall's absence. “It’s not the ideal situation. You lose one of your best players for a couple weeks, but it’s next-man mentality. Our guys, I feel very confident they’re going to come back, play and compete by committee."

Brooks said the team won't rush Wall back. “Gives (Two weeks of rest) him the best chance to calm the knee down. So hopefully after a couple of weeks, he’ll be back on the court and play the season out. He’s definitely as tough as they come. He doesn’t want to miss games, but it’s the best thing for him.” Stay tuned for the latest John Wall injury update.