Rip out

Report: Wizards' Hamilton could miss four weeks

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Washington Wizards guard Richard Hamilton, who has helped take the scoring load off Michael Jordan, could be sidelined for up to four weeks with a partial tear in his right groin.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that an MRI on Monday revealed the injury that will sideline Hamilton for three to four weeks.

Hamilton suffered the injury on Friday during the first quarter of the Wizards' 93-75 victory over the Orlando Magic. He sat out Saturday as the Wizards ran their winning streak to nine games with an 87-86 victory against the New York Knicks.

Hamilton has developed into a viable No. 2 offensive option for the Wizards and is averaging 19.8 points per contest, second on the team to Jordan's 23.1 points.

But losing Hamilton would be a huge blow for the Wizards, whose current winning streak follows a disappointing 5-12 start. At 14-12, Washington is two games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 1997-98 season.

The Wizards aim for their franchise-record 10th consecutive win Wednesday when they meet the Charlotte Hornets.