Phoenix Suns’ Dillon Brooks not bowing down to LeBron
Dillon Brooks discusses his on-going back-and-forth with LeBron, including their game vs. Lakers on Dec. 1.
The Phoenix Suns announced Dec. 3 that Devin Booker will have his right groin strain re-evaluated in a week, after he was injured in the first quarter of a 125-108 road win Dec. 1 over the Los Angeles Lakers.
“He knew,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said after Dec. 4 practice at the team’s practice facility. “He knows his body better than anyone. Super self aware. He kind of felt it right away. Hopefully just a minor strain. Then to get it confirmed, I think that’s a relief to all of us.”
The Suns (13-9) play at defending NBA Oklahoma City (21-1) on Dec. 10 in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. The Thunder escaped with a 123-1119 thriller over Phoenix on Nov. 28 at Paycom Center.
Will Booker be available for the rematch with a trip to Las Vegas at stake in the tournament?
Based on how cautious the Suns have appeared to be with injuries this season and Booker’s history with groin injuries, the odds are against it.
The Suns will face the Houston Rockets (14-5) on Dec. 5 and the Minnesota Timberwolves (13-8) on Dec. 8, on the road without their franchise player. Booker’s scheduled re-evaluation comes during a time Phoenix may play only once in a span of seven days.
The Suns will have at most two games between Dec. 11 and Dec. 17 before traveling to San Francisco to play the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 18.
If the Suns defeat Oklahoma City, they’ll advance to the NBA Cup semifinals and face the Spurs-Lakers winner Dec. 13. A win there and Phoenix will reach the NBA Cup championship game Dec. 16.
The semifinals and finals will be at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas.
“He knew. He knows his body better than anyone. Super self aware. He kind of felt it right away. Hopefully just a minor strain. Then to get it confirmed, I think that’s a relief to all of us.”
Suns coach Jordan Ott on Devin Booker’s right groin strain that’ll be re-evaluated in… pic.twitter.com/5kYpKH6D6p
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 4, 2025
A loss to Oklahoma City in the quarterfinals and Phoenix will have only one game between Dec. 11 and Dec. 17, against either the Lakers or the Spurs.
If the Suns lose to the Thunder and the Lakers lose to the Spurs, the Lakers will play the Suns in Phoenix on Dec. 14. If the Suns lose to Oklahoma City and the Spurs lose to the Lakers, the Spurs will play the Suns in San Antonio on Dec. 15.
Booker is averaging 25 points and 6.7 assists in 22 games this season.
Booker’s history with groin injuries goes as far back as the 2022-23 season, when he suffered a left groin strain Christmas 2022 at Denver that sidelined him for 21 consecutive games after he missed three with groin soreness. Last season, he missed five games due to a left groin injury in December.
Another Suns starter draws closer to return
Jalen Green is also on an injury timeline due to a right hamstring strain. He reinjured it for the second time Nov. 8 against the Los Angeles Clippers in Inglewood.
The Suns announced Nov. 11 he’ll be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.
Based on that timetable, Green will be re-evaluated at the earliest on Dec. 9, the day before Phoenix plays Oklahoma City.
Green has been making some progress, but based on his recent history with the right hamstring and how cautious the Suns have been with injuries, he’ll likely miss that game as well.
If the Suns wait five to six weeks to re-evaluate Green, an ideal return date could be Dec. 23 when they play the Lakers at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Phoenix begins a four-game road trip on Dec. 26 against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first of a back-to-back against the Pels.
The Suns then face the Washington Wizards on Dec. 29 and conclude the road trip Dec. 31 versus the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Green has only played two games this season after playing every game for the Rockets in his previous two NBA seasons. He missed Phoenix’s first eight games this season before making his Suns debut Nov. 6 against the Clippers at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Green scored 29 points, hitting six 3s to set a Suns debut record, in an 115-102 win, but he reinjured his hamstring two days later in the first quarter versus the Clippers.
The Suns acquired Dillon Brooks, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 draft, 7-footer Khaman Maluach, and Green from Houston in the Kevin Durant trade before the draft.
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.