Devin Booker left Friday night's game in Atlanta with a right ankle injury late in the third quarter, abruptly halting what had been a blistering performance. The Suns' All-Star had racked up 31 points in just 28 minutes before heading to the locker room, and teammates could only watch as he limped off. The sight of Booker favoring that right ankle quickly shifted the mood inside State Farm Arena.
The sequence unfolded with about five seconds left in the third quarter, when Booker rolled his right ankle after stepping on the foot of Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu, according to the Houston Chronicle. He remained on the court for several minutes before getting up and walking to the training room under his own power, though he was clearly in significant pain. The play ended his night and cut short what had been one of Phoenix's brightest offensive sparks of the evening.
Booker's night and numbers
Before the injury, Booker had piled up 31 points in 28 minutes, according to the official box score on NBA.com. He entered the matchup averaging a team-leading 25.3 points per game and roughly 6.3 assists on the season, per ESPN, which is a hefty slice of the Suns' offensive load to suddenly lose in the closing stretch.
Once Booker was out, Phoenix had to navigate the late minutes without its primary scorer and one of its main playmakers, a shift that clearly affected how the Suns were able to finish the game.
Implications for Phoenix
The setback for Booker only added to Phoenix's problems after wing Jalen Green had already exited earlier in the game with hamstring tightness, a development that forced the Suns to reshuffle minutes, Sports Illustrated reported. With Booker unavailable, analysts and fantasy outlets noted that Phoenix would need Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen and several bench contributors to absorb more scoring and ball-handling duties, a scenario outlined by CBS Sports. The Suns struggled to generate consistent offense in the fourth quarter once their primary scorers were sidelined.
What's next
There was no immediate official timetable for Booker's return after the game. The team said it would evaluate him and share updates once testing and scans are completed. Phoenix heads back home this weekend and is slated to host the Miami Heat on Sunday, Jan. 25, according to the team's published schedule on SeatGeek. The Suns and their medical staff are expected to provide more information once their full assessment of Booker's ankle is finished.
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