Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal will undergo testing to determine the severity of a strained hamstring he suffered Saturday night, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
Beal said he tweaked the hamstring early in the second half, and it became more painful as the night went on. He left the game with 21 seconds to play in the fourth quarter and was held out of overtime as Washington defeated Indiana to move into ninth place in the East. Coach Scott Brooks told reporters that Beal’s status will be determined over the next few days.
“I knew it was a little tight in the second half,” Beal said. “First play of the second, I twisted my ankle … I went back out there, my left hammy felt a little tight. I didn’t think anything of it, kept playing. I think the layup on (Doug) McDermott put us up one, it kind of intensified a little bit, and then the floater I missed at the end, it definitely kind of put me over the top.”
Washington has four games remaining as it tries to move into the upper play-in game. The Wizards will play twice in Atlanta, then will finish the season at home against the Cavaliers and Hornets. They are currently a game-and-a-half behind eighth-place Charlotte.
In addition to the playoff race, Beal’s injury could affect the battle for the scoring title. He poured in 50 points last night and is averaging 31.4 PPG, trailing the Warriors’ Stephen Curry, who is at 31.9 PPG.
“Let’s hope for good news and that he is all good to go,” Russell Westbrook said. “His night can’t go unnoticed either. He had 50 … He has been keeping us together along the season and (been) very exceptional. I am grateful to have him as a teammate.”
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