Suns PG Ricky Rubio out against Clippers with knee injury

The Phoenix Suns will be without another one of their playmakers Saturday night.

Suns point guard Ricky Rubio will miss the the team’s matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers with a left knee contusion. Rubio suffered the injury when he knocked knees with Denver’s Jerami Grant with 4:10 remaining in overtime. Rubio fouled out on the play and hobbled to the Suns’ bench.

In the first two games of the season, Rubio’s passing prowess and leadership were on display as the point guard averaged 10 points and 10 assists in 32.5 minutes per contest.

It’s the latest injury to hamper the Suns at the point guard position, with rookie floor general Ty Jerome out indefinitely with an ankle sprain.

With Rubio out of Saturday’s lineup, Jevon Carter should see an uptick in minutes, with Elie Okobo and Jared Harper also potentially getting in the mix.

Carter has seen more time on the hardwood this season than both Okobo and Harper, averaging 8.5 points and two assists, while shooting 62.5 percent from deep. Okobo and Harper each saw two minutes of time at the end of Phoenix’s season-opening win over Sacramento Wednesday night. Neither played in Denver.

Shooting guard Devin Booker could also see more primary ballhandling responsibilities in Rubio’s absence. The fifth-year pro has gotten off to a slow start in the shooting department, but has averaged 8.5 assists during the first two contests.

It’s not all bad news when it comes to the Suns and injuries. First-round pick Cam Johnson, who missed the first two games of the year with a calf issue, didn’t appear on Saturday’s injury report, and should be able to make his NBA regular-season debut against the Clippers.

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