Steve Nash said the nagging groin injury he suffered in November returned against the Nuggets Thursday night and could keep him out of action in the thick of the Suns race for the playoffs.

Nash said he felt some pain before the game along with spasms in his back and hamstrings. He said it is the worst the groin injury has been, reaching the point where he couldn’t move because of the pain and immobility.

“Before the game I felt it,” Nash said. “I just tried to go out there and do what I could.”

“I felt like we were improving every day so I didn’t feel like I couldn’t play the game. But I wasn’t ready from the start and it just went downhill.”

Nash said the trade for Aaron Brooks may pay dividends if he misses any time due to injury.

“If I do have to miss a game, maybe this could be a good thing for Aaron to get comfortable,” Nash said. “It could really get going and we could win a game or two when I’m not playing. It could really jump start his stretch run.”

Nash said he will “definitely” try to play Sunday with the Suns only 1 1/2 games back from Memphis for the eighth seed in the West.

“The hardest thing is obviously we fought ourselves out of a hole to get right on the doorstep,” the point guard said.

“That’s a big reason as any as why I tried to play last night, but it got to a point last night where I just can’t play like that.”

Sports 620 KTAR’s Kyndra de St. Aubin contributed to this report.

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