Devin Booker will miss the second game of a back-to-back for the Phoenix Suns, having sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 118-109 loss to the Houston Rockets.
Booker and Royce O’Neale both sustained ankle injuries after a defensive possession in which Booker mistakenly stomped on O’Neale. After the possession finished, Booker hobbled to the locker room and did not return.
Following the game, head coach Frank Vogel stated that x-rays on Booker’s ankle came back negative, but the evident agony in Booker’s reaction to the play was deemed serious enough to keep him out of the lineup on Sunday.
Pregame Sunday, Vogel stated that Booker was still being evaluated, with an update expected on Tuesday.
The Suns face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are in second place in the Western Conference standings.
“It occurred so quickly. “It was just a freak play,” O’Neale explained after the game.
Other Suns injuries.
Center Jusuf Nurkic also left in the second quarter against the Rockets after receiving some friendly fire from Josh Okogie.
Nurkic missed the second half of the defeat due to a neck strain, according to the Suns.
He has been listed as probable on Sunday and will be available.
O’Neale did not appear on the Sunday Injury Report and should be available against the Thunder.
The Suns played without guard Eric Gordon on Saturday, but he was not listed on the Injury Report and is expected to return against the Thunder.
Bradley Beal returned to the lineup after missing five games with a hamstring ailment. His return was brief, however, as he was disqualified in the third quarter for his role in a shoving altercation with the Rockets’ Jalen Green. He was also expected to play on Sunday and will.
Josh Okogie suffered a right hip injury and was added to the injury report late. He was ruled out.
Suns’ opponentThe Oklahoma City Thunder have won seven of their past ten games heading into Footprint Center. They are 0.5 games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for first place in the Western Conference.
The two clubs met in November, when the Suns lost 111-99 in Phoenix.
Sunday is the first of two meetings between the Suns and Thunder this month.
They will also meet in Oklahoma City on March 29.