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John Wall wasn't happy with how the Wizards handled his trade to Houston

John Wall wasn't happy with how the Wizards handled his trade to Houston
Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images.
John Wall and Jae'Sean Tate lead Rockets to dominating victory over Grizzlies

Despite the injuries the Houston Rockets face, John Wall made a trip back to D.C. to face a familiar team, the Washington Wizards. The Wizards' organization told John that they would not trade him but that clearly changed when Wall was traded for Russell Westbrook. Wall couldn't play basketball for two years because of an Achilles and ACL injury. Although Wall was seen throwing up gang signs, he apologized to the Wizards' organization for his actions.

"I called everybody and apologized about it. Nobody's perfect. We make mistakes," Wall said to Fred Katz of The Athletic. "The number one goal is, you didn't give me the opportunity for me and Brad to run it back, like y'all said we (would)," he said. "That was (my) and our ultimate goal. It was, 'OK, we're gonna give it one more shot.' If it's just one year or two years, we were gonna give it one more shot just to see. … And it's just crazy we never got to do that. I don't think they wanted to do that. I think they moved forward and did whatever they wanted, which is cool. But that was the most frustrating thing than anything. Like, to have an opportunity to run it back with my brother and playing with the guy, the level he's on now."

Bradley Beal loved the competition in Monday night's victory versus the Rockets. He had 37 points and is on a verge of becoming a starter in the All-Star game.

"I'm definitely looking forward to competing against him the rest of my career, as crazy as that may sound," Beal said.

In Wall's return, he had 29 points and 11 assists on 38% shooting. Wall was able to keep the Rockets in the first half, as they were down by three. He made a big play inside the 1st quarter, which was Wall's signature dunk. Wall is averaging 26.5 points per game and shooting 40% percent from the field against the Wizards. The Wizards' head coach Scott Brooks was impressed by Wall's performance. "He was special…He's an All-Star player," as Brooks said.

Wall is continuing to play through adversity because of injuries to the Rockets' roster. It honestly feels like Wall is playing with one hand behind his back. Wall's leadership skills have allowed him to stay composed and support his teammates. The Rockets just lost Ray Spalding to an apparent Achilles injury. Spalding was just called up from the G-League affiliation of the Rio Grande Vipers. The Rockets were missing Eric Gordon, PJ Tucker, Victor Oladipo, and Christian Wood. Those guys were part of the Rockets win streak of six in a row.

Hopefully, Wall continues to progress through this season of injuries and COVID-19.

"Nobody's putting their heads down. Like I'm telling them every day, keep fighting, don't give up," as Wall said. "It's a bump in the road but always the next man up and just give ourselves a chance. All you can do is go out there and play hard."

Wall gave his all to the Wizards organization and still cares for the Washington D.C. community. Even though the Rockets lost, it was good to see the respect he had for that community.

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Has Christian Walker finally turned the corner? Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros return to Daikin Park on Tuesday night looking to keep their momentum going as they host the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET, with Ryan Gusto (3-1, 2.78 ERA) on the mound for Houston against Detroit’s Reese Olson (3-1, 3.29 ERA).

Winners of seven of their last ten, the Astros (15-13) have found their rhythm after a rocky start to the season. Their recent surge has been fueled by dominant pitching — a 2.35 ERA over the last 10 games — and improved production at the plate, including a .264 team batting average over that span. Houston has also outscored opponents by 18 runs during that stretch and boasts a solid 10-6 record at home.

While the offense has yet to fully catch fire, signs of life are emerging. Jeremy Peña continues to be a steady presence with five doubles and three homers, while Christian Walker has driven in six runs over his last 10 games, including three long balls. The Astros’ bats will be tested against a Tigers staff that leads the American League with a 2.86 ERA.

Houston’s Tuesday starter, Ryan Gusto, has been sharp through his first five outings, posting a 1.10 WHIP and 23 strikeouts. He’ll look to keep Detroit’s bats quiet, especially red-hot Zach McKinstry, who’s hitting .406 over his last 10 games, and slugger Spencer Torkelson, who already has eight homers this season.

The Tigers (18-11) may sit atop their division, but they’ve struggled away from home, going just 5-8 on the road. The Astros will look to capitalize and even the season series in their second matchup with Detroit.

With the offense trending upward and the pitching staff in a groove, Houston has a prime opportunity to keep building momentum in front of the home crowd.

Here's a sneak peek at the Astros lineup. Altuve is once again batting second after asking manager Joe Espada to move him down in the batting order. Zach Dezenzo is playing right field with Cam Smith getting the night off. Jake Meyers is back in center field and Mauricio Dubon is starting at second base.

Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot

A big test awaits

It appears the Astros may have tipped their hand regarding tomorrow's starting pitcher. Chandler Rome is reporting AJ Blubaugh is at Daikin Park today.

Following Tuesday night's game, Blubaugh has been officially announced as the starter.

Espada said Hayden Wesneski is not injured but needs more time to recover from his last start.

*ChatGPT assisted.

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