Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat missed Monday's win over the Chicago Bulls with a sore left knee, but coach Randy Wittman said the team will have him checked for a staph infection.
"We don't know," Wittman said. "We got to get him to the hospital when we land and give him some IVs and try to get the fluids running through him. I don't know if it's a staph infection. He had a small cut on his knee from diving on the floor and something got in there. It swelled up and he had a high temperature last night so we know it's an infection of some type."
Gortat tweeted a picture of himself in a hospital gown Tuesday afternoon.
Gortat appeared to injure the knee in Saturday's game against the Magic. He also left that game in the fourth quarter after taking an elbow to the head that caused a gash on his ear. He woke up Sunday with discomfort in the knee and tried to get it in shape to play by using medication and treatment, but to no avail.
"The next 24 hours, we should know what's going on," Gortat said Monday, according to reports. "Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get myself ready for the next game."
Injury-riddled Washington is also without forward Kris Humphries, who missed his fourth straight game with a sore right knee. Star guard Bradley Beal remains out with a right leg injury and is missing his 16th straight game. In addition, it was revealed Tuesday that John Wall will have an MRI on a muscle above his knee.
Gortat had 12 points and 10 rebounds in a 105-99 win Saturday at Orlando. He is averaging 13.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in 32 games.
Nene replaced Gortat in the starting lineup Monday and had 14 points in the Wizards' win. Nene had missed the victory over the Magic with a strained right triceps.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.