Sprained ankle keeps Hawks' Horford out vs. Wiz

[GotGibson?]

Hawks center Al Horford was held out of Wednesday night's game against the Washington Wizards with a sprained right ankle.

The decision was made after Horford tested the ankle in pregame warmups.

"If I can't go at the level I try to play every night, I won't go because I won't be helping the team," Horford said.

Hawks coach Mike Woodson confirmed about 90 minutes before the game that Horford would not play. Woodson said Zaza Pachulia, who returned from a shoulder injury on Tuesday night, would start at center.

The Hawks also were without another starter, forward Josh Smith, who missed his seventh straight game with a sprained left ankle.

"We've got some beat-up bodies right now," Woodson said, adding Smith could miss another four or five games.

Horford left Tuesday night's loss at Indiana with 5:21 left in the first quarter with the ankle injury and did not return. X-rays were negative.