On Friday night in Atlanta, the Phoenix Suns watched their star guard, Devin Booker, go down with an ankle injury.
Booker's absence came not long after the Suns figured out they wouldn't have Jalen Green for the remainder of the game. Although an injury is never positive, Booker's setback was certainly ill-timed.
"It's just tough," Suns head coach Jordan Ott said after the game. "You just feel for them. Book really figured it out in the third quarter. It felt like he's been doing so much for us all season long. There, he's in his flow state, and that's the tough part about it."
At that point, Booker had 28 minutes logged. He was shooting 12-21 on the night, making five out of his nine shots from beyond the arc. Booker was the only member of the Suns to cross 30 points, despite playing under his average playing time.
Along with his scoring, Booker produced three assists, four rebounds, and one steal. He was the only member of the starting five to have plus-minutes for the night.
The Suns Are Facing Uncertainty
It was too early to have a diagnosis and a timeline for his recovery ready to reveal after Friday's game.
"What happened to Book-right ankle-rolled it on someone else's foot," Ott told reporters. "Pretty unlucky. We'll just have to take a look when we get back to Phoenix."
The Suns will have the day off on Saturday night. On Sunday, they'll be back in action for a battle against the Miami Heat. The early assumption is that Booker might get the night off, considering how much pain he was in on Friday. Ott wouldn't confirm or deny his status just yet.
Booker is obviously a major loss for the Suns no matter how long he's out. On Friday, his lack of presence late in the game didn't do Phoenix any favors, as they dropped the matchup 110-103. With that loss, the Suns move to 27-18 on the year.
Leading up to Friday's action, Booker has been averaging 25 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in 40 games. He had some minor injury hiccups at points, but for the most part, he's been quite healthy this year. Ott seems confident that the star guard might not be out for too long.
"I know he bounces back incredibly fast," he finished.
Newsweek