On Saturday, the Devin Booker-less Phoenix Suns suffered their third loss in five games after falling 107-117 against the Boston Celtics at home despite Kevin Durant pouring in a season-high 45 points and Bradley Beal scoring 25. The duo’s impactful performance couldn’t negate Booker’s absence, who has missed the Suns’ last four games. He suffered an injury late in the fourth quarter in the Suns’ loss to the Rockets after accidentally stepping on teammate Royce O’Neale’s leg and rolling his ankle.
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The Suns are 2-2 in the four games that Booker has missed. Questions about his return to the lineup fell on deaf ears until Saturday’s post-game press conference. Suns beat reporter Duane Rankin asked Durant for an update on the superstar guard’s injury. The Suns superstar confirmed that Booker will return during the Suns’ four-game road trip, which starts on Monday in Cleveland. However, KD also claimed that the team will exercise caution,
“I’m excited to get him back, but we definitely don’t want to rush him back because it’s an important part of the season.”
The Suns’ stance on easing Booker back into the lineup is understandable. Ankle injuries are difficult to recover from but are aggravated in an instant. Phoenix wouldn’t want Booker to miss any more time due to injuries as they head into the fourth quarter of their regular season schedule.
Suns’ record without Devin Booker
When the Suns acquired Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards in the 2023 offseason, they had hoped the guard would form a formidable trio alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. However, they have played only 22 of a possible 64 games together.
All three players have missed a considerable number of games this season. Beal has been sidelined for 29 games, but the Suns have coped decently in his absence, boasting a 16-13 record. Durant has been the fittest of the three and has missed only seven games, but Phoenix did not miss him much in his absence, winning five and losing two.
While Beal and Durant’s absence hasn’t been back-breaking, the same can’t be said about Booker. The Suns are 6-8 in the 14 games their superstar guard has missed. Booker is the glue holding Phoenix’s title aspirations in place.
With the Suns only 3.5 games clear of the 10th-placed Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference standings, and a four-game road trip, including games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and the Milwaukee Bucks on the horizon, Booker’s return is imperative to the team’s success. It’s unclear if the team will field him in Cleveland on Monday night, but they will hope he’s ready to go.
