Suns’ Devin Booker out with toe sprain against Clippers
Oct 31, 2016, 6:31 PM
Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker (1) reacts to a foul being called against his team during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Kim Raff)
(AP Photo/Kim Raff)
A toe sprain will keep Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker sidelined for the fourth game of the year, a Monday road test against the Los Angeles Clippers, the team announced.
Brandon Knight will start in his place.
Booker was hobbled by the toe injury in Phoenix’s 106-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night, but he managed to play 28 minutes. The second-year guard went 3-for-12 from the floor and scored seven points.
“Work-in-progress, doing everything to keep it healthy. I felt good when I warmed up,” Booker said Sunday after the game. “In the morning I didn’t know if I could play, it was tough to walk. Felt a lot better when it got to game time but still restricted in some movements.”
The 20-year-old said he first noticed the injury two weeks ago and that it subsided until he started to feel it again Friday in the Suns’ loss at Oklahoma City.
The Suns will be missing Booker’s 15.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game with 39 percent shooting. In his stead, they will lean more on Knight, who is averaging 11.7 points and 3.3 assists in 29 minutes per game off the bench. Knight, like Booker, has struggled with his shooting. He is hitting 29 percent of his shots this season.
The shifting in roles could also lend more minutes to veteran backup Leandro Barbosa and third-string point guard Tyler Ulis.
