Bradley Beal injury: Wizards rookie is day-to-day with sprained ankle

Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal is day-to-day after spraining his left ankle in Sunday's win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the team announced.

For those at home wondering what this news feels like for folks in the D.C. area, the current headline atop Bullets Forever, SB Nation's Wizards blog: "Crisis Averted."

Crisis averted, indeed.

Beal twisted his ankle on a play under the basket late in the fourth quarter of Washington's victory at home and needed to be carried off the court. Team doctors examined the rookie's ankle on Monday, confirming the initial diagnosis of a sprain.

Though he likely won't be out long, any time that Washington is without Beal will be tough on the team. As the Wizards have turned things around in recent weeks, Beal has been a core part of that effort, particularly on the offensive end, where he's averaging 20 points per game on 49 percent shooting in the past three weeks.

In Beal's absence, Washington coach Randy Wittman will likely start Garrett Temple alongside John Wall in the backcourt. Temple's played a combined 17 minutes in the team's past seven games.

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