Jalen Green
Getty
Jalen Green of the Phoenix Suns reacts to Dillon Brooks suffering a broken hand.
It was a tough night in Phoenix on Saturday, despite Jalen Green‘s game-winning 3-pointer against the Orlando Magic. Dillon Brooks suffered a hand injury early in the game, adding to the Suns’ injury woes.
With less than five minutes remaining in the first quarter, Brooks was subbed out and was favoring his left hand. ESPN’s Shams Charania later reported that the forward suffered a broken hand and would be out indefinitely.
The Suns haven’t given an exact timetable for his return, but doctors are reportedly set to determine the severity of the injury before giving a recovery timeline. Brooks is having the best season of his career, averaging 20.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in his first year in Phoenix.
Brooks seemingly suffered the injury after Wendell Carter Jr. contested his jump shot and accidentally hit his left hand. It could also have happened a few possessions earlier when he was called for a foul after trying to poke the ball from Anthony Black.
In addition to Brooks, Devin Booker was already out due to a hip injury and Jordan Goodwin suffered a calf injury late in regulation. Green stepped up and hit the game-winning shot in the second overtime.
The former No. 2 pick finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Green Reacts to Brooks’ Injury
Speaking to reporters after the game, Jalen Green was informed about Dillon Brooks’ broken hand. Green was caught off guard by the injury, but he still delivered an encouraging message for his teammate.
“I mean, I never want to see anybody be injured, especially breaking anything,” Green said. “But that’s my guy. I’m going to keep his spirits high. He was needed out there. We missed him out there, so hopefully, I’ll talk to him after we get out of here and see where his head’s at and just keep talking to him and be there for him.”
Green and Brooks came to the Phoenix Suns from the Houston Rockets in the offseason as part of the Kevin Durant trade. Green also knows a thing or two about injuries this season. He has only played nine games so far due to a recurring hamstring injury.
Green Comments on His Game-Winner
Despite having a rough shooting night, Jalen Green still received the ball in his hands in the final possession of the game. Green nailed a 3-point shot from the right corner to give the Phoenix Suns a 113-110 win over the Orlando Magic in double overtime.
In his postgame press conference, Green shared that his teammates and coaches had full confidence in him even though he was 5-for-25 before that buzzer-beating shot.
“At that point, it’s double OT,” Green said. “We just trying to go home. But as I said, my teammates, my coaches kept talking to me the whole night, ‘Just keep shooting. It doesn’t matter what the last shot is.'”
The Suns improved to 33-24 for the season. They are sitting seventh in the West standings and are just three games behind the No. 3 spot, currently occupied by the Denver Nuggets.