Suns coach gives update on Devin Booker’s injury after practice
Phoenix Suns star guard Devin Booker was able to participate in practice on Dec. 12, ahead of their game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Coach Jordan Ott said Booker was able to do “everything” in practice, a positive sign for his return.Booker is progressing ahead of the Dec. 14 game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Phoenix Suns star guard Devin Booker was able to participate in practice on Friday, Dec. 12, heading into the Sunday, Dec. 14, game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Mortgage Matchup Center.
“He did practice with us,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said. “It’s always a good sign. Now we’ll see how he responds from this. It’s probably the most he’s done. See exactly where he’s at, but everything seems to be progressing.”
Booker missed Phoenix’s past three games with a right groin strain.
Ott confirmed Booker was able to do “everything” in practice.
“We didn’t do player versus player, we did player versus coaches, but he was able to do everything,” Ott added.
Booker was listed as questionable for Phoenix’s NBA Cup quarterfinal game in Oklahoma City against the defending NBA champion Thunder, but the Suns later ruled him out.
Phoenix suffered its worst loss in franchise history, falling 138-89.
Booker showed much better movement and seemed in much lighter spirits during media viewing of practice at the team’s practice facility on Dec. 12 in comparison to how he moved around after morning shootaround in Oklahoma City.
Phoenix will now play the Lakers as part of the NBA Cup format, in which the quarterfinal losers meet to ensure both teams have 82 games.
The San Antonio Spurs eliminated the Lakers with a 132-119 road victory on Dec. 10.
The Suns defeated the Lakers in their first matchup this season, 125-108, on Dec. 1 at Crypto.com Arena; Booker suffered the groin strain in the first quarter and didn’t return.
Phoenix has gone 1-2 since, with all three games on the road.
The Suns lost Dec. 5 to the Houston Rockets, bounced back to upend the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 8 and fell to the Thunder two days later.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.