As the Suns battle away the Nuggets tonight, it’s the second straight game where Devin Booker isn’t participating. He had sustained a right ankle sprain in the team’s loss to the Houston Rockets just a few days ago and his return timeline did not seem very comforting at first, owing to a majorly concerning injury.
But in somewhat of a relief, Chris Haynes has revealed a return for the Suns’ best shooter during their matchup vs the Nuggets. According to him, “His timeline of a return right now is around a 3-7 day range… The earliest that Booker could return is March 9 against the Boston Celtics.”
"His timeline of a return right now is around a 3-7 day range… The earliest that Booker could return is March 9 against the Boston Celtics."@ChrisBHaynes with the latest injury report on Devin Booker pic.twitter.com/psiCvBZxQO
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 6, 2024
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Devin Booker had rolled his ankle on Royce O’Neal’s foot while defending Fred VanVleet. He immediately went down in obvious pain, clutching his ankle. Staying down for a few seconds, Booker limped back to the locker room. In the 61 games that the Phoenix Suns have played, the 3x All-Star has missed 11 games.
The 6’6 guard is averaging 27.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on 61.2% of true shooting. Phoenix is 4-7 without Booker while holding a steady 31-19 with him on the floor.
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The Suns have had a hard time keeping their Big 3 on the floor
Phoenix brought in Bradley Beal from the Wizards with the aim of forming a formidable trio with Kevin Durant and Booker. While it didn’t face any major issues like the Brooklyn Big 3, the three Suns’ stars have almost never had much time together on the court.
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From Bradley Beal’s recurring back and hamstring injuries to now, Booker’s ankle injury, the ‘Valley of the Sun’, has had it tough. The three of them have shown just how deadly they can be together in the few circumstances we have seen them on the court. But unfortunately, heading into the playoffs, they haven’t exactly been able to build the chemistry they were hoping for.
Durant, Beal, and Booker have managed to play in just 23 games and their record is 14-9 in those. But Haynes’ report has been comforting. Hopefully, Devin Booker can make it as early as the Boston Celtics game on March 9.