Devin Booker out for Suns vs. Nikola Jokić, Nuggets with Ankle Injury
The Phoenix Suns announced that superstar guard Devin Booker will miss Friday's home game against the Denver Nuggets, according to Duane Rankin of AZCentral.com.
Booker suffered a sprained ankle during the Suns' loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, and he had been listed as questionable for Friday's game before being ruled out.
Phoenix will be without Booker for the ninth time this season, as he previously missed action with a calf ailment.
Earlier Friday, Rankin posted video of Booker and Bradley Beal participating in a shootaround, which suggests Booker's injury may not be serious:
Beal has missed 15 games this season, including the past eight with a back injury. The Suns announced on Nov. 17 that he would miss at least three weeks.
With both Booker and Beal out for Friday's contest, the Suns will be shorthanded against the reigning NBA champions led by two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić.
While Booker has been limited to 10 games this season due to injury, he has remained highly productive when he plays, averaging 27.3 points, 8.5 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 three-pointers made per game, and shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Booker was named an All-Star in three straight seasons from 2020 through 2022, and although his All-Star streak ended last season, he put up a career-high 27.8 points per contest.
With the Suns struggling to get over the hump and win a championship, they acquired Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets last season and then traded Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards as part of a deal for Beal during the offseason.
That gave the Suns one of the most talented trios in the NBA, but they have hardly gotten a chance to play together due to Booker and Beal missing so much time.
Since neither will play Friday, KD will continue to carry the load as the go-to scorer. Durant, who has missed two games this season, is firmly in the MVP conversation with 31.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.
At 11-7, the Suns are in fifth place in the Western Conference, just 1.5 games behind the second-place Nuggets, who are 13-6.
In addition to a huge game from Durant, the Suns will likely need major production from Eric Gordon, Grayson Allen, Jusuf Nurkić and Co. to take down the Nuggets.
