Devin Booker

Suns star guard Devin Booker left Sunday night's game versus the Nuggets in the first quarter and was ruled out with a groin injury.

[Chris Paul](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/chris-paul-T2sfGOMEeDjjOrJH/) hasn’t been the same standard we’re used to and Booker has been the main guy for a couple seasons now. Losing Booker with a groin injury is going to be tough for a variety of reasons. In the midst of the best season of his career, a nagging groin injury is set to derail Booker’s All-NBA campaign.

The guard had made his return in this game after missing some contests with a groin issue.

Deandre Ayton will need to elevate his play to make up for Booker’s offensive output, but Shamet and Bridges will also need to take on bigger roles. Booker actually returned from a groin injury for this contest but clearly he aggravated the injury during game action. Clearly, Booker’s injury had not completely healed as he only played four minutes before succumbing to the injury.

Booker, the Suns' leading scorer, manages only four minutes before a left groin injury forces him from the game.

Phoenix managed to regroup and took the game to overtime but “I didn’t even see it,” said Suns coach Monty Williams. The All-NBA guard totaled two points in 4:20, though he entered the game averaging 28 on the season.

Devin Booker is ruled out for rest of Suns-Nuggets game with a left groin injury as he missed Phoenix's previous three games with groin soreness.

Booker got in his pregame work and concluded it with his usual pregame bounce lob dunk. "Just treatment, around the clock," Booker said. "Honestly, if I wasn't healthy and ready to go, it'd be tough to play," Booker said. Phoenix led at the half, 57-51, as Shamet scored all 13 points of his first-half points in the second quarter. That was part of a 21-2 run to put Phoenix up, 32-28, with 9:41 left in the first half. Booker missed the previous three games with groin soreness.

Devin Booker's return to the court lasted just four minutes Christmas Night, opening the door again for Landry Shamet and Damion Lee.

Bridges is a key cog on a team that has made a trip to the NBA Finals and won 64 games. You have to have connective tissue to do that, and Mikal is that piece.

Together, he and Booker can win the day. There’s plenty of time left in the season, and we know that many more opportunities for Phoenix in these exact situations exist. Go to the shooting range, if you will. Note that this team isn’t great in the clutch either. In the long run, this experience that they’re gaining may ultimately benefit the team. In the short term, however, it’s painful to watch. The team was down nine points when Devin departed for the locker room, but behind Mikal Bridges’ 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first quarter, Phoenix closed the Denver lead to four points. The Suns are 1-4 in those games. And while the injuries have mounted for the Suns, some of the burden is falling on his narrow shoulders. Knowing you’re on the road, playing the opening game of a six-game road trip, and losing your best player isn’t a good way to start. He’s third on the team in scoring at 15.7 points and he’s shooting 39.2% from deep. In a game that went to overtime, Mikal Bridges ended with 13 total points.

It's been a tough couple of months for the Phoenix Suns. From the offseason with the Deandre Ayton drama to Chris Paul saying that he didn't learn.

Chris Paul isn’t getting any younger and has also dealt with some injuries of his own, while Deandre Ayton isn’t likely to be able to shoulder most of the offensive load on his own. Soft-tissue injuries are always something to look out for, so the Suns might want to be extra careful with their franchise player for the time being. “They came to me when I was walking the sidelines and they said, ‘Man, we’ve got to get Book.’ I looked up and he had that look on his face and I knew something had happened.” Booker was only able to be on the floor for 4:20 minutes in the Suns’ Christmas Day loss to the Denver Nuggets, raising concerns left and right: [Devin Booker](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bookede01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.thecoldwire.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-26_bbr)‘s injury concerns to that list, and you have yourself a recipe for disaster. [Deandre Ayton](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aytonde01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.thecoldwire.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-26_bbr) drama to [Chris Paul](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/paulch01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.thecoldwire.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-26_bbr) saying that he didn’t learn anything from the loss to the Mavericks, all the way to [Jae Crowder](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/crowdja01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.thecoldwire.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-26_bbr) sitting out until he’s traded, it seems like there’s been trouble brewing in the desert from some time now.

The Grizzlies listed rookie Kennedy Chandler (nasal fracture) as available. Booker started on Sunday after missing three games with a groin issue and exited ...

13 game against the Houston Rockets. Shamet stepped in with 31 points off the bench, which tied a career high. Booker (left groin straight), Shamet (right achilles soreness), Cam Payne (right foot strain) and Cam Johnson (meniscus tear) were all listed as out on the

Suns guards Devin Booker (left groin strain), Landry Shamet (right Achilles soreness) and Cameron Payne (right foot strain) out Tuesday at Grizzlies.

He suffered his injury in the first half of a Dec. 8 versus the Cavaliers before going back on the road for a four-game stint beginning Jan. The Suns then have two home games Jan. "Honestly, if I wasn't healthy and ready to go, it'd be tough to play," Booker said. Both of those guys are rotation guys for us. Payne has missed six games with a right foot strain. He went 7-of-17 from 3 against the West-leading Nuggets. The Suns All-Star is listed as having a left groin strain. "I was fortunate and blessed enough to make it happen right on time. “Injuries suck,” Suns wing Mikal Bridges said after Sunday’s game. “I didn't even see it,” Suns coach Monty Williams said after Sunday’s game. Make sure he doesn’t rush back.”