Devin Booker
Getty
Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns.
After missing the Phoenix Suns‘ last four games due to a hip injury, Devin Booker returned to the lineup on Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings.
Booker was part of the starting lineup and finished with 17 points, four rebounds and six assists. He was a little bit rusty, shooting an abysmal 6-for-19 from the field and committing three turnovers.
Nevertheless, the Suns still pulled off a 114-103 win over the Kings, improving to 35-26 for the season. They went 2-2 during Booker’s absence, so the rest of the roster kept the team afloat. They are sitting seventh in the West and are two games behind a Top 6 spot.
Booker Comments on His Return
Speaking to NBC Sports’ Grant Liffman after the game, Booker was asked about how he’s feeling in his first game back. His playing time wasn’t restricted since he played 31 minutes, which tied Collin Gillespie and Jalen Green for the most on the team.
“Hip’s fine,” Booker said. “I feel like I’ve been off a month, man. Just got to get my wind back. But, you know, it’s always good to be back out there with the guys, just competing. I’m happy we came in to win.”
Booker suffered the injury on February 19 against the San Antonio Spurs. He was initially ruled out for a week, but it took a total of two weeks before he was cleared to return. It helped that the Suns had an easy schedule of four games in two weeks.
Booker on Green’s Health
In the same interview with Grant Liffman, Booker was a bit candid about the contributions of Green once he finally became healthy. Green has missed the majority of the season due to a lingering hamstring injury. He has played in eight of the Suns’ last nine games.
“He’s getting his pop back,” Booker said. “He’s getting his step back. He’s been out majority of the season. He’s been sticking with it. We’ve been seeing him going through rehab. We know how bad he wanted to be out there, and tonight is the closest version of himself that I’ve seen. I’m excited for him.”
Green finished the win against the Kings with 20 points, four rebounds and four steals on 7-for-16 shooting. The Suns acquired the former No. 2 pick from the Houston Rockets as part of the Kevin Durant trade.
Suns Still Not Fully Healthy
Dillon Brooks
GettyDillon Brooks of the Phoenix Suns.
Despite the return of Booker and Green staying healthy, the Suns are still not at full strength. They are missing two key players in Dillon Brooks and Jordan Goodwin.
Brooks, who is one of the most improved players of the season, suffered a broken left hand on February 21 against the Orlando Magic. He was ruled out for four to six weeks, as per ESPN’s Shams Charania. It came at a tough time since Brooks was averaging 20.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals.
Meanwhile, Goodwin suffered a strained left calf in the same game versus Orlando. According to AZ Family’s Mark McClune, Goodwin has a recovery timeline of one to two weeks.