Suns’ Devin Booker To Miss First Game Saturday Against Pistons

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker has been ruled out of Saturday’s home game against Detroit Pistons due to left groin tightness. The 28-year-old Booker sat out practice Friday, one day after sustaining the injury in the third quarter of a 120-111 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Devin Booker will miss Saturday’s contest, his first regular-season game missed since March 9 versus the Boston Celtics

Booker exited with 5:18 left in the third quarter against Indiana and was examined in the locker room before being ruled out. The four-time All-Star had 17 points and six assists in 25 minutes and made 5 of 10 shots.

Phoenix hasn’t yet given a timetable for how long Booker might be sidelined. Saturday will mark Booker’s first missed game of the 2024-25 season.

Booker appeared to have suffered the injury in the first half against Indiana, but Suns coach Mike Budenholzer believed the 10-year veteran experienced tightness in the second half.

Suns vs. Pistons full injury report: #Suns #Pistons https://t.co/Wcs1bdPVSn pic.twitter.com/x7Ct0cUZMO

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 21, 2024

“We talked a little bit about it in the back,” Budenholzer said. “[Booker] doesn’t remember a play or knows exactly when or where it happened, but I’m pretty sure it was sometime early in the third quarter.”

“Hopefully, it’s nothing serious,” Suns big man Jusuf Nurkic said of Booker’s injury. “For me, it’s a part of the game. We’ve got to figure it out.”

Suns superstar Kevin Durant also addressed Booker leaving Thursday’s loss to Indiana.

“You hate that injuries can get in the way of beautiful basketball, the game of basketball,” Durant said. “It’s a part of it, but it still sucks, tough to take. Hopefully, Booker gets better by the hour. We’ll see how he feels the next couple of days and go from there.”

Phoenix Suns had returned to full strength with Bradley Beal back

The Suns (14-12) had just returned to full strength with Bradley Beal starting Thursday after missing two games with right knee swelling.

December has been a historically awful month for Devin Booker when it comes to injuries.

Last season, Booker suffered a right ankle sprain in a loss at Toronto on Nov. 29, 2023. He missed the next game on Dec. 1, 2023, against Denver, but returned on Dec. 2, versus Memphis.

In December 2022, Booker had three setbacks: left hamstring tightness, which sidelined him two games; a left groin injury, resulting in him missing the next three games; and he re-aggravated the injury within five minutes of a 128-125 overtime road loss and didn’t return. The Kentucky product missed at least four weeks because of the groin injury.

Then in December 2021, Booker missed seven games after he suffered a left hamstring injury in the second quarter of a 104-96 win over the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 30, 2021.

The list goes on and on, dating back to 2018.

Through 26 games (all starts) this season, Booker is averaging 25.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 36.6 minutes per contest while shooting 43.9% from the field, 34.5% from 3-point range, and 89.9% at the free throw line.

In the Phoenix Suns’ 120-117 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 17, he recorded a season-high 44 points on 15-of-29 (51.7%) shooting from the floor, 6-of-13 (46.2%) from beyond the arc, and 8-of-9 (88.9%) at the foul line.