Devin Booker And Jalen Green Injured As Suns Fall To Hawks

The Phoenix Suns’ six-game road trip ended in Atlanta on Friday night, but what was supposed to be a routine regular-season contest against the Hawks turned into a night that may haunt the Suns for weeks to come. Not only did Phoenix drop a hard-fought 110-103 decision to the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena, but the team also lost both Devin Booker and Jalen Green to injuries, casting a shadow over the remainder of their season.

Devin Booker, the Suns’ four-time All-Star and leading scorer, had been putting on a show for the Atlanta crowd. Booker poured in 31 points in just 28 minutes, including a scorching 16-point third quarter that seemed to put the Suns in the driver’s seat. At the time, Phoenix led 91-84 after three quarters, and Booker was in full flow, knocking down 12-of-21 shots and 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. It looked like he might finally notch his first road win in Atlanta, a feat he’d been eager to achieve. "It’s the last one to mark off the list," Booker said before the game, according to the Arizona Republic. "I’ve been in the NBA too long to not have a win in every arena. Definitely one I’ve had highlighted. So I’m looking forward to it."

But fate had other plans. With just over five seconds left in the third quarter, disaster struck. As Booker was running back on defense, eyes turned to the action behind him, he stepped on the foot of Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu. The result was immediate and excruciating. Booker went down hard, grabbing his right ankle and screaming in pain. The arena fell silent as he remained on the floor for several minutes. Suns teammates Collin Gillespie and medical staff rushed to his side, helping him to his feet. Booker limped off the court under his own power, but his face told the story: this was no minor tweak.

"Right ankle, rolled it on someone else’s foot. Pretty unlucky, so we’ll just have to take a look when we get back to Phoenix," Suns coach Jordan Ott said after the game. Ott’s tone was a mix of frustration and concern, especially considering how well Booker had been playing. "Book really figured it out in the third quarter. It felt like, you know, he’d been doing so much for us all season long and then there he was in his flow state. That’s the tough part about it, but I know he bounces back incredibly fast."

The injury to Booker was the second blow of the night for the Suns. Earlier, in the first quarter, Jalen Green—fresh off a 33-game absence due to a right hamstring injury—tweaked the same hamstring just four minutes into the contest. Green reported pain during a timeout, and coach Ott didn’t hesitate to pull him out for precautionary reasons. "Jalen, got a little tightness. For precautionary reasons, took him out," Ott explained. "Jalen’s worked every single day to get back to go out and play basketball, and then basketball is taken away. So, it’s tough. It’s tough for his teammates, tough for him."

Green’s second game in a Suns uniform ended as quietly as it began. Acquired from Houston in the Kevin Durant trade, he’s only managed four appearances for Phoenix so far. The timing of his setback couldn’t be worse, as the Suns’ depth at guard now faces serious questions just as the season heats up.

With both Booker and Green sidelined, the Suns’ offense sputtered in the fourth quarter. Atlanta capitalized, with Onyeka Okongwu leading the way with 25 points and Jalen Johnson nearly posting a triple-double—23 points, 18 rebounds, and nine assists. Phoenix, without its star backcourt, struggled to generate quality looks. Dillon Brooks went cold, and neither Collin Gillespie nor Grayson Allen could find the bottom of the net when it mattered most. The Hawks’ defensive pressure and relentless rebounding proved too much to overcome.

Booker’s absence in the final frame was especially glaring. The Suns, who had entered the night with a 27-17 record and a chance to sweep their road trip, instead finished at 27-18, splitting the six-game swing at 3-3. The loss not only stings in the standings but raises questions about the team’s immediate future. With Miami looming on Sunday night, the Suns’ medical staff will be working overtime to assess both injuries. "We’ll just have to take a look when we get back to Phoenix," Ott reiterated, leaving the door open for a potentially grim update.

The timing couldn’t be worse for Booker, who has been averaging a team-best 25.3 points, 6.3 assists, and four rebounds per game this season. Despite not being initially voted as an All-Star, his impact on the Suns has been undeniable. Booker himself commented on the All-Star process earlier in the month. "It’s fan voting," Booker said. "There are some super-big-market teams. There are guys from different countries that have a whole country behind them. I kind of understand the process, but am I playing better than a lot of guys? For sure, but that’s not the setup." He added, "I’ve also not got in on coach’s vote, too. We’ll see. We just worry about taking care of wins. We’re in a good spot right now. Everybody sees the standings where a bad week or a good week for anybody can change a lot. We’re taking it one game at a time. We’ve got all East teams till February. We’re going to handle business over there."

Booker’s resilience is well-documented. He had previously sprained his left ankle earlier in the same road trip, leaving the January 13 game in Miami in the third quarter but returning in the fourth to finish. He missed only one game before returning to action. Whether he’ll be able to bounce back as quickly from this latest setback remains to be seen.

As for Jalen Green, the Suns will be especially cautious. After missing 33 consecutive games, the last thing the team wants is to risk a more serious, long-term injury. Green’s hamstring issues have limited him to just a handful of appearances since arriving in Phoenix, and his absence leaves the Suns thin at the guard position.

The Suns’ next challenge comes quickly, as they return home to face the Miami Heat on Sunday night. With both Booker and Green’s status up in the air, coach Ott and his staff will need to get creative with their rotations. Fans will be watching closely for updates, hoping for good news but bracing for the possibility of extended absences.

For now, the Suns’ fate hangs in the balance. The team will regroup in Phoenix, hoping that assessments of Booker’s ankle and Green’s hamstring bring more optimism than dread. One thing’s for sure: the road ahead just got a lot bumpier for the Phoenix Suns.