The injury bug is swirling throughout the NBA and its latest victims are Phoenix Suns guards Devin Booker and Jalen Green.
Both players left during the Suns’ 110-103 loss against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Friday, Jan. 23.
The Hawks were led by Onyeka Okongwu, who tallied 25 points, while Jalen Johnson had a monster game with 23 points, 18 rebounds and was an assist shy of a triple-double.
Booker scored 31 for Phoenix. Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen had 16 apiece.
Devin Booker injury
Booker went down with 5.4 seconds left in the third quarter as Phoenix led 91-84. He seemingly rolled his right ankle on Okongwu’s foot, which left Booker in serious pain.
He grabbed at his ankle and screamed in agony before the Suns medical staff left the bench to tend to Booker.
Booker needed assistance from Gillespie and the medical staff to get off of the floor and he limped back to the locker room and did not return to the game.
Booker finished with 31 points on 12-of-21 shooting, including 5-of-9 (55%) on 3-point field goals, in 28 minutes.
Jalen Green injury
Green has missed the majority of the Suns’ games this season due to a nagging right hamstring injury.
He’s only appeared in four games so far, most recently returning against the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 20 in a 116-110 victory where Green scored 12 points in 20 minutes. It was his first NBA action since Nov. 8.
Green played 4 minutes, scoring four points, in Friday’s loss at Atlanta. He left the game early in what was reported to be a precautionary move due to right hamstring tightness.
Green drove to the basket and scored a layup as the Suns trailed 23-22 with 2:21 remaining in the first quarter. He went back to the bench and eventually the locker room, following a Hawks timeout after Green’s basket.
Suns injury updates
Suns coach Jordan Ott spoke to reporters about the injuries after the game.
Per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, Booker left the locker room on crutches.