Devin Booker
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Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns is a five-time NBA All-Star.
The Phoenix Suns were without Devin Booker in their loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. Booker remained out for the seventh consecutive game due to a sprained ankle suffered on January 23 against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Suns have kept themselves afloat amid Booker’s absence. They were 4-2 since he was ruled out with a sprained right ankle before their 101-97 defeat at the hands of Golden State.
With a 92-79 lead at the 8:32 mark, the Suns were well on their way to another win, especially with Steph Curry out for the Warriors.
However, the visitors finished the game on a 22-5 run to steal the win from Phoenix. Pat Spencer was huge for the Warriors, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Gui Santos added 18 points, four rebounds and seven assists, while De’Anthony Melton came up clutch for 17 points and three steals.
As for the Suns, Dillon Brooks had a game-high 24 points, but it also took him 24 shots to score them. He was shut down by Moses Moody in the Suns’ final possession of the game.
Jordan Ott Shares Update on Booker’s Recovery
ESPN reported a couple of days after Devin Booker sprained his right ankle that he would be out for at least one week. It has been nearly two weeks since the injury happened, and Booker hasn’t been cleared to return.
Speaking in his pregame media availability on Thursday, coach Jordan Ott provided an update on Booker’s injury recovery and rehab.
“Continues to progress,” Ott said, via Duana Rankin of The Arizona Central. “Incredible healer. He’s trying to push it as far as he can on the court. Again, without going overboard because once you go overboard on an ankle or something like that, there’s a little bit of soreness. He’s right there.”
Ott also confirmed that Booker can now be considered day-to-day, which means his return is imminent. The five-time All-Star could get cleared depending on how his body reacts during his workouts.
“We’re not going to do anything ahead of time that takes him out of how he feels in the morning, especially with these opportunities we were able to get into the gym,” Ott added. “Have shootaround, he can go through that the best he can, and then we’ll figure it out from there.”
In addition to Booker, Ott also confirmed that Jalen Green is over hamstring issues. He has missed the last three games because of a hip contusion following a bad fall against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 30.
Booker Called an Anomaly
In his latest column on NBA.com, veteran analyst Shaun Powell commended Devin Booker for being an anomaly in the current generation of players. Booker is in his 11th season with the Phoenix Suns, a feat only a handful of players have achieved for their respective teams.
Booker has been through it all in his time in Phoenix. He went through a ton of coaching changes, an ownership change, a front office change, an NBA Finals run, a rebuild and a lot of losing.
Nevertheless, the latest chapter in Booker’s career takes him in rare company alongside players like Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic.