Wizards All-Star guard John Wall to have left knee surgery

By HOWARD FENDRICH
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Washington Wizards point guard John Wall will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Wednesday and could miss much of the rest of the regular season.

The Wizards announced Tuesday that Wall would have the operation in Cleveland and that a timeline for his return would be determined afterward.

A person with direct knowledge of the injury said Wall could miss six to eight weeks. That person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not release any estimate of the length of Wall's absence. Washington's last regular-season game is on April 11.

This is the latest knee problem for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft out of Kentucky. He had surgery on both of his knees before last season.

In July, Wall agreed to a $170 million, four-year contract extension that starts with next season.

He was selected last week to participate in his fifth NBA All-Star game but now is expected to miss that event in Los Angeles next month.

Wall is second on the Wizards in scoring this season, averaging 19.4 points, and is second in the league with 9.3 assists per game. The timing of the surgery gives Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld a chance to find a new point guard before the NBA trading deadline, which is Feb. 8.

The Washington Post first reported that Wall would be having a procedure on his knee.

He sat out Washington's most recent game, at the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, because of a recurrence of soreness and swelling in his left knee. Earlier issues with the knee led him to sit out nine games in November and December, and he got platelet-rich plasma injections to try to cut down on the inflammation.

The Wizards entered Tuesday, when they were scheduled to host Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder at night, tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 27-22 record.

Led by its backcourt of Wall and Bradley Beal, a first-time All-Star pick this season, Washington lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals each of the past two years.

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AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.

John Wall, Karl-Anthony Towns named Players of the Week

NEW YORK -- The Washington Wizards’ John Wall and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, March 6 through Sunday, March 12.

Wall led the Wizards to a 4-0 week, with all of Washington’s wins coming on the road. He paced the East in scoring (29.8 ppg) and assists (11.3 apg) while adding 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. On March 7, the 26-year-old recorded 25 points, 14 assists, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks in a 131-127 victory over the Phoenix Suns. On March 11, Wall tallied 39 points and nine assists as Wizards erased a 21-point halftime deficit in a 125-124 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Towns averaged 29.0 points (fourth in the West) on 63.3 percent shooting and 12.3 rebounds (tied for fourth) as the Timberwolves went 2-1. On March 8, he scored 29 points on 14-for-21 shooting and added 14 rebounds in a 107-91 win over the L.A. Clippers. On March 11, the 21-year-old scored a game-high 35 points on 14-for-21 shooting to go with 14 rebounds and two blocks in 102-95 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. It was the 13th time this season that Towns has scored at least 30 points.

Here is a recap of the week for Wall and Towns:

John Wall, Washington Wizards

March 7 @ Phoenix: Finished with 25 points, 14 assists, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks in a 131-127 win over the Suns.
March 8 @ Denver: Posted 30 points and 10 assists in a 123-113 win over the Nuggets.
March 10 @ Sacramento: Scored 25 points and added 12 assists in a 130-122 win over the Kings.
March 11 @ Portland: Poured in 39 points on 13-of-23 shooting in a 125-124 overtime win over the Trail Blazers.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

March 8 vs. LA Clippers: Tallied 29 points, 14 rebounds and two assists in a 107-91 victory over the Clippers.
March 10 vs. Golden State: Recorded 23 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and two assists in a 103-102 victory over the Warriors.
March 11 @ Milwaukee: Finished with 35 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks in a 102-95 loss to the Bucks.  

Other nominees for the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Dennis Schröder, Detroit’s Andre Drummond, Houston’s James Harden, Indiana’s Paul George, Miami’s Dion Waiters and Hassan Whiteside, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Philadelphia’s Dario Saric, Phoenix’s Devin Booker, Portland’s Damian Lillard and Washington’s Bradley Beal.